Will AI Improve Life and Work? Depends Who You Ask
The Pew Research Center just released results from a major study about the U.S. population’s opinions and attitudes about artificial intelligence (AI). They compared the results with the opinions from AI experts, showing the sometimes-wide disparities of how experts view the emerging technologies compared to the public overall.
The research is based on feedback from 5,410 people in the United States and 1,013 AI experts that live in the United States. Pew identified the experts by compiling a list of authors and presenters at 21 AI-related conferences.
The full report is easily accessible on Pew Research’s website, as is a summary. Below are some of the findings that stand out, followed by some resources specifically on AI in security from Security Management and ASIS International.
Overall, compared to the public at large, AI experts were much more confident that AI would have a positive impact on the United States during the next 20 years. It’s notable that only 20 percent of the U.S. population that has an opinion on the question thinks AI will be a net positive on society. (These figures differ from Pew’s depictions because they ignore the 16 percent of U.S. adults and the 6 percent of AI experts who said they were unsure.)
The public at large and AI experts also have vastly different outlooks on whether AI will positively or negatively affect how people do their jobs. Less than a quarter of the general U.S. population (23 percent) think it will have a positive impact versus 73 percent of AI experts who expect positive effects.
There is also a wide gap between the two groups on whether AI will create or reduce the number of jobs in the U.S. economy, though on this question the AI experts are significantly less ebullient: roughly, 43 percent of those with an opinion think AI will lead to fewer jobs, 37 percent think the net impact will be negligible, and 21 percent think AI will add jobs. The general population is much more skeptical. (These figures differ from Pew’s depictions because they ignore the 16 percent of U.S. adults and the 10 percent of AI experts who said they were unsure.)
According to the AI experts, occupations that are at risk of losing positions to AI include cashiers, truck drivers, factory workers, and journalists. The experts think medical doctors, mental health therapists, teachers, and musicians are safer.
The AI experts and general U.S. population agree that AI is likely to have a negative impact on the news people get: only 18 percent of AI experts and 10 percent of U.S. adults think AI will have a very or somewhat positive effect in this area.
Likewise, both groups think elections will suffer because of AI: just 9 percent of U.S. adults expect AI to have a very or somewhat positive effect on elections. AI experts are also pessimistic, with only 11 percent foreseeing positive outcomes.
Here’s a selection of Security Management and ASIS International resources on artificial intelligence:
Artificial Intelligence: Navigating the Dual-Edged Sword of Digital Threats
Corporate Security Is Curious about AI, But Is It Useful Yet?
AI and Elections: Addressing New Tools to Spread Inaccurate Information
Infographic: How AI is Changing Cybersecurity Jobs
The Role AI Plays in Workplace Safety and Compliance
On-demand Webinar: Leverage AI as a Security Risk Manager Webinar
On-demand Webinar: Better Data Can Make You a Better Leader: How AI Can Transform Physical Security
On-demand Webinar: Unlocking the Power of AI: A Wake-up Call for Physical Security Operations
