The majority of United States voters are worried about the risks that come with the technological development of artificial intelligence, per a new survey released Wednesday.
The poll, conducted by the AI-focused think tank Artificial Intelligence Policy Institute, found 62% of respondents are concerned about AI compared to just 21% who are excited. Another 16% remain neutral regarding the topic.
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Voters believe the rapidly evolving technology should be regulated by a federal agency as opposed to being self-regulated by AI tech companies. According to the poll, 56% support federal regulation while 14% don’t, and 82% distrust tech company executives to make wise decisions with their own creation, while 13% trust them.
“The data is clear — Americans are wary about the next stages of AI and want policymakers to step in to develop it responsibly,” said Daniel Colson, executive director of AIPI.
Eighty-two percent prefer slowing down AI development, whereas 8% were in favor of speeding it up. Additionally, a whopping 86% said they believe AI could accidentally cause a catastrophic event, and 7% said they believe that outcome is unlikely.
Even more notable is the poll’s consensus, which is rare to find on both sides of the political aisle. Republicans and Democrats largely agreed on the issue, with 78% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats worried that AI poses an existential threat to the human race. An overall 76% of voters expressed worry that machines will pose a threat to humanity in the future.
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“At a time when nearly every issue is polarized, there’s a broad consensus among Americans that policymakers need to decide what path AI development should take,” Colson said.
AIPI, in collaboration with YouGov, surveyed 1,001 U.S. voters from July 18-21 for the national poll. The think tank will release the full results on voters’ views regarding AI measures on Thursday.
