What America really believes about the AI hype
You might say that probably every other tech-related article you read is about AI. That can be true considering the fact that AI has evolved from vague to mainstream in a really short time. It is quickly gaining traction even in the most conservative areas and is changing the business landscape.
With this in mind, we thought it would be a good idea to look into TruePublic numbers and see what do people think about artificial intelligence and robots in general.
About the mere possibility of self-aware AI
Over 60% of the respondents agree that self-aware AI is possible. However, among all generations, Baby Boomers are the least optimistic about it.
Hazards
80% of the respondents disagree with the statement that in the future, all investment decisions will be made by AI, without human help. Note that the Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers disagree more than the other generations do.
If AI and Robotics took my job, I would feel I did not have a purpose.
49% of the respondents agree with this statement, while 31% disagree and 20% are simply neutral.
Imagine that AI & Robotics were able to allow most people to live well without having to work. How would you view this?
- As a good thing — 46%
- As a bad thing — 54%
Note that 66% of the Republicans said that they would view this as a bad thing as compared to people of other political leanings who seem to be more neutral.
61% of the respondents believe that human-like robots would be negative for the human future. Interestingly, male respondents are more positive about them as compared to females.
Yet, 75% of the respondents said they would be interested in a robot who carried out household chores.
There is more to this: 69% believe that a “Fast Food Worker” will be replaced by robots or computers in their lifetime.
Do you think you could ever trust a robot to take care of a child under 4 years all by itself?
76% said “No, never,” while the other 24% think that it can happen in the future. Note that the females are way more pessimistic about the possibility of leaving an infant with a robot than the males are.
Most respondents (56%) believe that in 2050 and later, it will be most likely to see humanoid robots in 99% of households.
What would better reflect your feeling toward creating robots to replace soldiers in combat?
People (57%) are more worried about this than enthusiastic (43%).
Also, 80% of the respondents think that military fighting robots would ultimately make the world more dangerous than safer.
Imagine that AI & Robotics were able to allow most people to live well without having to work. How would you view this?
54% view this as a bad thing while 46% think it’s good. Note that the Republicans (66%) consider this a bad thing more than the people of other political leanings.
54% would rather pay for a robot that folds laundry and 46% for a robot that puts away dishes.
How would you feel if robots become more intelligent than humans?
Most people said they would feel either terrified (40%) or nervous (39%) rather than optimistic (6%) or intrigued (15%).
It turns out that most people think robots will become an important part of our lives; however, they do not like the idea of robots having the same rights or appearance as humans. Also, they would rather have the robots perform basic household duties than take care of the kids or serve in the army.
Love life
In the future, would you be willing to date an AI robot who looked and acted human? 80% of the respondents said they are not. Note that this question had only Yes or No answer options.
And 67% of the respondents said they would rather interact and work with robots that looked like machines than like humans.
We can assume that people view robots as mostly machines that can perform certain tasks rather than creatures whom you can date or spend your time with.
Killing a robot?
78% of the respondents think that it would be ok to kill an artificially intelligent robot that looks human since “it’s just a machine.”
Summing up
People have got mixed feelings about artificial intelligence and the possibility of spending their lives alongside robots. They mainly perceive robots as machines that can help make our lives easier. Things get complicated when people are asked if the robots should have the same rights as humans or if they can be love partners or soldiers or caretakers for the kids…
Do you think humanity should change something in their perception of robots or everything is fine with it? Let us know by commenting below or anonymously share your opinion on TruePublic.
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Sample size: 1000–4,000 respondents
Originally published at blog.truepublic.com on March 25, 2019.
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