New SRI/PEARL survey now published, reveals worldwide public opinion about AI
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI), supported by the Policy, Elections and Representation Lab (PEARL) at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, has published a report that examines opinions about artificial intelligence (AI) in 21 countries. The project was led by SRI Associate Director Peter Loewen, who is also the Director of the Munk School and Robert Vipond Distinguished Professor in Democracy at U of T’s Department of Political Science. Loewen’s research focuses on how politicians can make better decisions, how citizens can make better choices, and how governments can address the disruption of technology and harness its opportunities. The GPO-AI team also includes SRI Graduate Fellow Blake Lee-Whiting, and SRI Policy Researchers Maggie Arai and Isaac Gazendam.
The Global Public Opinion on Artificial Intelligence survey (GPO-AI) reveals varying, diverse and region-specific attitudes about the use of artificial intelligence, and topics of focus in the survey include job loss, deepfakes, and state regulation.
➦ READ THE REPORT: GLOBAL PUBLIC OPINION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GPO-AI) [PDF]
GPO-AI survey findings address the following:
Concerns about AI safety, regulation, autonomous vehicles, and the effect on jobs now and in future.
Interest and trust in AI applications for daily decision making about clothing, travel, grocery shopping, dating and personal relationships or finance.
Attitudes toward use of emerging technologies for education, justice, healthcare, and immigration activities.
Knowledge of and personal experience with ChatGPT and deepfakes.
Survey methodology:
In October and November 2023, researchers from SRI and PEARL surveyed more than 1,000 people from each of the participating 21 countries, in 12 languages. The project received nearly 24,000 responses, the combined populations of which represent more than half of the world’s population.
Countries surveyed:
In North America: Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
In South America: Argentine, Brazil, and Chile
In Africa: Kenya and South Africa
In Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the U.K.
In Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Pakistan
In Oceania: Australia
Key findings:
Knowledge of AI: Globally, most people feel they understand what AI is (73%). However, knowledge varies between applications. Respondents were largely unaware of deepfakes, with only 30% citing prior knowledge of this technology.
Attitudes: Globally, people feel positive towards AI. China, India, Indonesia, and Kenya display particularly positive feelings toward AI. 50% of global respondents support the development of AI—but there is wide variation among countries. Countries including France, the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. display the most negative views.
AI Regulation: Respondents are divided on who should regulate AI. Technology companies are trusted to regulate AI and are the preferred actor for doing so. However, when asked directly if they trust tech companies to self-regulate, respondents are more hesitant: only 21% say yes.
ChatGPT: Global awareness of ChatGPT is fairly high (63%). Usage levels are slightly lower in all countries (global avg. of 40%). Among ChatGPT users, frequency is relatively high: 53% use it daily or weekly. Respondents report using ChatGPT most for their job (33%) and education (28%). A significant portion of respondents (22%) also use it as an alternative to Google.
Want to learn more?
Explore Chapter 9 of the 2024 Stanford AI Index, which features data from the GPO-AI survey.
For media inquiries, please contact University of Toronto Media Relations Officer Jessie Park at jessie.park@utoronto.ca
