More than 7 in 10 Americans are concerned that the improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) will spark permanent job losses for a large number of people in the U.S., according to a poll released Tuesday.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 71 percent of U.S. adults said they 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 use AI to locate a potential target of a military attack. About a quarter, 24 percent, said 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 3 in 5 Americans, 61 percent, 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 education, respondents were split on whether AI will help improve the field. About 2 in 5 said 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 “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 about 2 percentage points.
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