A special Roy Morgan SMS Survey of 1481 Australians aged 16-plus, conducted in conjunction with the Campaign for AI Safety, shows a sizeable majority of 57 per cent of Australians believe artificial intelligence (AI) creates more problems than it solves.
Even worse, according to the study, one in five (20 per cent) of Australians believe AI presents a risk of human extinction in the next twenty years.
Females, older Australians, and regional Australians are more sceptical of AI
Females (62 per cent) are far more likely to agree that artificial intelligence (AI) creates more problems than it solves, compared to males (52 per cent).
A large majority of those aged over 50 also agreed, (65 per cent of 50-64-year-olds and 64 per cent of those aged 65+); whilst only a slim majority of younger Australians agreed (51% of those aged under 35).
Those in regional and rural areas were more likely to be sceptical of artificial intelligence (AI) than those in the capital cities. A clear majority of 61 per cent of people in regional and rural Australia agreed that AI creates more problems than it solves, compared to 56 per cent of those in the capital cities.
While a clear majority of 80 per cent of Australians say that artificial intelligence (AI) does not pose a risk of human extinction in the next two decades, 20 per cent say yes, it does.
This breakdown is fairly consistent across different demographics but there are some groups that are more likely than others to say that AI poses a threat of extinction in the next twenty years including respondents aged 50-64 (25 per cent), and respondents in Tasmania (37 per cent), Western Australia and Perth (both 26 per cent) and Melbourne (24 per cent).
Those respondents who agreed that AI creates more problems than it solves were around three times more likely to say AI poses the risk of human extinction (28 per cent) compared to 10 per cent for those who disagree that AI creates more problems than it solves.
Job losses and the need for greater regulation are seen as the biggest reasons AI creates more problems than it solves
Among those who agreed that AI creates more problems than it solves (57 per cent of respondents), the most common reasons given for agreeing with this statement was the potential for job losses, followed by the need for regulation and the ability for AI to be misused.
Those that believe that AI solves more problems than it creates believe AI will lead to a better society, and can be beneficial when used correctly
Among those who believe that AI solves more problems than it creates (43 per cent of respondents), the most common reasons given are for the potential betterment of society, that the technology is beneficial if used correctly, and that the pros outweigh the cons.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that while many Australians see the benefits of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, they are also concerned about the risks and see a clear need for tighter regulation.
Levine said: “Australians are excited about the benefits that AI technology can bring to everyday life, but on the balance, the majority of us feel the potential for job losses, misuse, and inaccuracy outweigh these benefits.
“Australians feel there is a clear need for regulation in the AI space, to ensure that these risks can be adequately managed.
“Surprisingly, one in five (20%) of us are so concerned about the rise of AI, that we think there is a real risk of the extinction of the human race at the hands of AI in the next two decades.”
Nik Samoylov, coordinator of the Campaign for AI Safety, says that the poll shows widespread community apprehension about AI, especially when it comes to job security.
Samoylov said: “Most Australians are pessimistic about artificial intelligence, especially when it comes to job security and opportunities for misuse.
“The poll suggests that people want government regulation to deal with these issues, including unknown consequences and new problems that AI will create.
“One in five Australians anticipates the risk of human extinction from AI in the next twenty years. The Australian government does not have time to delay AI regulation, nor to delay banning the development of dangerous AI that can be misused or cause grave accidents.”
