Computer industry executives, economists, government officials and businesspeople all seem to be very high on the prospects for artificial intelligence (AI). But what about average Americans? They mostly believe AI should be feared, not embraced, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.
To kick off the three-question national online poll on AI, I&I/TIPP first asked 1,362 Americans the following: “Do you think artificial intelligence (AI) will mostly create new jobs, mostly take away jobs, or not make much difference?”
It wasn’t close. Just 17% responded that AI would create jobs, while 54% answered that it would “mostly take away jobs.” Of the remainder, 15% said it would “not make much difference,” while 14% were unsure. The poll, taken from Aug. 27-29, has
The AI job pessimism was pervasive. In none of the 36 demographic groups that I&I/TIPP tracks each month was there a majority believing that more jobs would be created, not destroyed. Indeed, the highest scores for those thinking it would create more jobs were 36% (for Investors) and 35% (for Parents), two groups often known for optimism and wishful thinking.
In short, Americans are downright gloomy about how AI will affect their job futures.
The second question was related to AI’s well-documented massive electricity demand: “Some reports suggest that AI consumes substantial amounts of electricity and could lead to increased power costs. Do you see this as a serious problem, a minor issue, or not a problem at all?”
Once more, pessimism was the vibe across the board.
Overall, among those responding, 50% called it a “major issue,” while just 29% said it was a “minor issue” and just 7% termed it “not a problem.” Another 14% were unsure.
The AI issue even seems to bring the three main political affiliations together for a kumbaya moment over the issue. Democrats (51% “serious problem,” 31% “minor issue,” 4% “not a problem”) were not much different than Republicans (48% “serious problem,” 31% “minor issue,” 10% “not a problem”) or independents (52% “serious problem,” 25% “minor issue,” 8% “not a problem”).
