Technology
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 2:30 pm EDT
Key Points
- Majority of Europeans Support AI Regulation: A significant portion of Europeans, as revealed by a study conducted by Spain’s IE University, favor government-imposed restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) to protect job security. Specifically, 68% of the 3,000 surveyed Europeans want their governments to introduce rules to address the impact of AI-driven automation on jobs.
- Increasing Public Sentiment for AI Regulation: The study notes an 18% increase in support for AI regulation compared to the previous year, with 58% of respondents in 2022 supporting AI regulation. The most common concern driving this sentiment is the fear of potential job loss due to AI technology.
- Estonia’s Unique Perspective and Global AI Regulation Efforts: Estonia stands out as the only European country where support for AI regulation decreased by 23%. However, this decline is in contrast to the majority of European countries where there is a growing favorability towards government regulation of AI. The article also mentions global efforts in AI regulation, such as the European Union’s AI Act and the UK’s initiative to position itself as a hub for AI safety regulation.
A recent study conducted by Spain’s IE University reveals that a majority of Europeans are in favor of government regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate its impact on job security. Out of 3,000 surveyed Europeans, 68% expressed the desire for their governments to introduce rules to safeguard jobs in the face of increasing automation driven by AI. This figure represents an 18% increase from a similar study conducted in 2022 when 58% supported AI regulation.
The primary concern cited by respondents is the potential loss of jobs due to AI technology. The report was produced by IE University’s Center for the Governance of Change, an institution focused on understanding and managing innovation.
Interestingly, Estonia stands out as the only European country where support for AI regulation decreased by 23% from the previous year, with only 35% of the population wanting government-imposed limits on AI. In contrast, the majority of people across Europe favor government regulations to mitigate the risk of job losses due to AI.
Public sentiment regarding AI regulation is on the rise, partly driven by concerns related to the recent rollout of generative AI products such as ChatGPT.
Governments worldwide are actively working on AI regulation. In the European Union, the AI Act, a piece of legislation, aims to introduce a risk-based approach to govern AI, classifying different AI applications based on their level of risk.
Furthermore, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to host an AI safety summit, positioning Britain as the “geographical home” for AI safety regulation.
The study also highlighted concerns about Europeans’ confidence in distinguishing between AI-generated and genuine content, with only 27% believing they could identify AI-generated fake content. Older citizens expressed even higher doubts, with 52% stating they would not feel confident in differentiating between AI-generated and authentic content. This has raised concerns among academics and regulators about the risks associated with AI producing synthetic content that could potentially influence elections.
For full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/11/most-europeans-want-government-restrictions-on-ai-says-study.html
