More than 7 in 10 Americans are concerned that the improvements within artificial intelligence (AI) will spark permanent job losses for a large number of people in the U.S., according to a new poll that was released Tuesday.
The new Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 71 percent of U.S. adults are worried that AI will put “too many people out of work permanently.”
The large majority of respondents, 77 percent, said they have concerns that, as AI technology improves, it could be utilized to provoke political turmoil.
Americans also have reservations about the government’s potential use of AI in warfare, according to the survey. Nearly half of Americans, 48 percent, said the federal government should never utilize AI to locate a potential target of a military attack. Around a quarter, 24 percent, said that the government should use AI to locate targets for military strikes, while another 28 percent were not sure when asked.
Other topics respondents were polled about include energy and interpersonal relationship concerns. More than 6 in 10 Americans, 61 percent, have expressed concerns about the amount of electricity necessary to power AI. Around two-thirds of Americans in the survey said they are concerned people will flee relationships with other individuals and pivot to relationships with digital AI characters.
On the education front, respondents were split on whether AI will help improve the field. About 4 in 10, 40 percent, said that AI will not improve education, while another 36 percent argued it will. Some 24 percent were not sure when asked.
A January survey from the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Future of Jobs Report” found that 41 percent of employers worldwide said they are likely to cut jobs as AI continues to improve.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted among 4,446 Americans and had a margin of error of around two percentage points.
