In theory, the AI industry should have a very attractive story for the public: automate away drudgery and free everyone up to do the things they really love.
In practice, they’ve bungled that layup narrative in favor of alternate fearmongering and out-of-touch outbursts that have alienated an incredible chunk of the population. And, crucially, public sentiment seems to be moving in exactly the wrong direction. The more Americans find out about the tech’s effects on the environment, the labor market, creativity, and human connection, the more they want it out of their lives.
According to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, the prevalence of AI skepticism is skyrocketing. A staggering 52 percent of Americans are now “more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life,” up from just 37 percent in 2021 — meaning that the more people see of AI, the less they trust it.
The new survey, which was conducted in June and includes responses from 3,488 US adults, highlights just how wary the average American has become of the tech encroaching their life. It’s been over three and a half years since OpenAI launched ChatGPT — and the disillusionment over the tech has never been more apparent.
A key subject weighing on the public are ongoing fears over AI leading to major job losses, concerns industry leaders have voiced for quite some time now. A whopping 71 percent of respondents said they think “AI will lead to fewer jobs in the United States over the next two decades.” In comparison, only five percent said they believe that AI will lead to more jobs.
It’s also striking how unenthusiastic young people are about the tech. The Pew poll found that for the first time, more than half of people under 30 say they’re more fearful than excited about the tech. Just last week, a survey conducted by CNBC‘s Generation Labs found that adults aged between 18 and 34 said they “don’t trust” any of nine top AI CEOs.
The abysmal approval ratings, paired with Pew’s latest poll, show just how tarnished the AI industry’s public image has become. Now that the sense of wonderment over a potentially revolutionary new tech has subsided, companies have their work cut out to win the public back over.
More on AI and opposition: Young People Hate AI CEOs So Passionately That It’s Almost Hard to Believe
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