Two thirds of adults fear AI will take jobs
The public is concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on their jobs and personal data, while some fear the technology could ultimately be responsible for the end of humankind, a new survey has revealed.
67 per cent of UK adults worry that AI will result in machines taking peoples’ jobs, according to a study commissioned by AI firm Fountech.ai and shared with City PM.
Of the over 2,000 people surveyed, almost a quarter (24 per cent) think AI could bring about the end of humankind, although 62 per cent believe the technology will do more good than harm.
Nevertheless, a 58 per cent of respondents said they find the use of AI by firms such as Amazon and Netflix to recommend products “creepy”, while 59 per cent said they have become more nervous about how their personal data is collected since the rise of AI.
“People tend to fear what they don’t understand, and today’s research is an example of this,” said founder and chief executive of Fountech.ai, Nikolas Kairinos.
Responding to the finding that almost three quarters (74%) of those surveyed want to see the government introduce more regulation of AI use and development, Kairinos said this demonstrated that “the technology must be harnessed and used in the right way”.
“The ethical questions surrounding the development of AI will rightly remain until both governments and businesses show they are applying it in responsible, safe ways.”