The impact of artificial intelligence on people’s lives

What is the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives? What opinions do we have about it? And what do we expect from the future? Will it make our lives better or make it worse?

These are just some of the questions from a recent question Ipsos survey on the impact of artificial intelligence on people’s lives Conducted on 19,504 adults under 75 years of age in 28 countries.

The survey found that, on average, 6 in 10 adults expect that products and services that use artificial intelligence will profoundly change their daily lives over the next three to five years. Half of them think it has already happened in the past few years. 6 in 10 agree that AI-powered products and services make life easier, but only half say they have more advantages than disadvantages, and 4 in 10 adults admit that AI-powered products and services make them nervous. Only half say they trust companies that use AI as much as they trust other companies.

Globally, most people expect AI to make things better for themselves and their families through education, learning, entertainment, transportation, housing, shopping, security, the environment, and food and nutrition. However, people around the world are evenly divided about the benefits of AI in terms of income, personal and family relationships, and employment (47%). Those who expect AI to improve their position in terms of cost of living, freedom, and rights are in the minority in most countries.

The survey highlights a clear gap between high-income and emerging countries when it comes to AI. Citizens in emerging countries are much more likely than citizens in more economically advanced countries to report their exposure to AI, trust companies that use AI, and have a positive view of the impact of AI-based products and services on their lives.

Detailed results

Familiar with artificial intelligence

On average for all 28 countries surveyed, nearly two-thirds (64%) said they have a good understanding of what AI is, but only half (50%) know what types of products and services use AI.

Not surprisingly, the reported knowledge of AI is highest among business decision makers (74% say they have a good understanding of what it is), entrepreneurs (73%), those with a college degree (71%) and those with high incomes (71 %). There is more intimacy between males than females. The same demographic groups are also more likely to claim to know the types of products and services that use AI.

Geographical differences are wider: “good understanding of AI” ranges from 41% in Japan and 42% in Italy to 78% in South Africa, 76% in Chile and Peru and 75% in Russia. Reported knowledge of products and services that use AI ranges from 32% in Japan to 76% in China.

Rely on companies that use artificial intelligence

Only half (50%) trust companies that use AI as much as they trust other companies. Trust in companies using AI is closely related to familiarity.

• Business decision makers (62%), entrepreneurs (61%), the richest (57%), and the highly educated (56%) are more likely to trust companies that use AI than others. In contrast, older people (44%), those with no higher education (45%) and those out of work (45%) do not trust companies that use AI.
• There is a wider gap between emerging and high-income countries: the majority trust companies using AI just as much as other companies in almost all emerging countries, notably China (76%), Saudi Arabia (73%) and India (68%). ). In contrast, only about a third in many high-income countries trust AI-based companies, including Canada (34%), France (34%), the United States (35%), Great Britain (35%) and Australia (36%). )) ).

How does it affect daily life?

6 out of 10 (60%) expect that products and services using AI will significantly change their daily lives in the next 3-5 years, and half (49%) say they have already done so in the past 3-5 years. The areas where people expect AI to change for themselves and their families in the coming years are in order: education and learning (35%), safety (33%), employment (32%), shopping (31%) and transportation (30%). Demographic and geographic differences in how products and services using AI perceive changing everyday life reflect those related to AI awareness and trust in AI companies.

• 72% of business decision makers say it will change their lives in the next few years compared to 54% of those without a job; 80% in China and Saudi Arabia expect AI to change their lives, but less than half in Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States do.
• People under 35 with higher education predict the impact of AI on teaching and learning, its impact on the safety of the elderly, its impact on employment from the share of people aged 35-49 and its impact on shopping, transportation and entertainment by the wealthy.
• Particularly high proportions of Latin Americans expect AI to bring about changes in education, security, and employment, while Chinese are more likely to expect AI to change shopping, transportation, entertainment, and their home. Expectations of AI-driven change in teaching and learning are particularly low in Japan and France.

Can artificial intelligence improve everyday life?

6 in 10 (60%) say products and services that use AI make life easier, but only half (52%) say they have more advantages than disadvantages, and 4 in 10 (39%) say these products and services make them nervous . Again, the demographic and geographic differences in estimating AI products and services correspond to those related to familiarity, trust, and awareness of AI’s impact on everyday life:

• 87% in China and 80% in Saudi Arabia say AI-based products and services make life easier compared to 39% in France and 41% in the United States
• 78% in China and 76% in Saudi Arabia say they have more advantages than disadvantages versus 31% in France, 32% in Canada, 33% in the Netherlands, and 35% in the United States.

The areas where people expect AI to improve for themselves and their families are: education and learning (AI is expected to improve by 77%), entertainment (77%), transportation (74%), home (73%), shopping (70%) and safety (69%). 6 out of 10 also expect AI to improve things for the environment (62%) and food and nutrition (61%). However, the global public is evenly divided on the benefits of AI on income (best for 53%), personal and family relationships (50%) and employment (47%). Only 4 in 10 expect AI to improve their position in terms of cost of living (42%) and freedom and legal rights (37%).

• The average for all 13 regions of those who say they would improve their lives is at least 70% across China, India, Saudi Arabia and all six Latin American countries surveyed. In contrast, it is only 41% in Belgium and 42% in Canada.
• In some countries, the proportion of those who expect AI to have a positive impact varies slightly between groups. This is the case in India, Peru, Malaysia and Argentina. Conversely, people tend to be more discerning when it comes to areas where AI will improve and which won’t in many other countries: Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Turkey, and the United States. For example, 79% of Italians and 72% of Americans believe that AI will improve their homes, but only 19% and 16%, respectively, believe that it will improve their freedom and rights.

on this link Full survey, in English