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Most Americans think AI won’t improve their lives, survey says (arstechnica.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

218 comments fedilink hide all child comments

US experts who work in artificial intelligence fields seem to have a much rosier outlook on AI than the rest of us.

In a survey comparing views of a nationally representative sample (5,410) of the general public to a sample of 1,013 AI experts, the Pew Research Center found that "experts are far more positive and enthusiastic about AI than the public" and "far more likely than Americans overall to believe AI will have a very or somewhat positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years" (56 percent vs. 17 percent). And perhaps most glaringly, 76 percent of experts believe these technologies will benefit them personally rather than harm them (15 percent).

The public does not share this confidence. Only about 11 percent of the public says that "they are more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life." They're much more likely (51 percent) to say they're more concerned than excited, whereas only 15 percent of experts shared that pessimism. Unlike the majority of experts, just 24 percent of the public thinks AI will be good for them, whereas nearly half the public anticipates they will be personally harmed by AI.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The natural outcome of making jobs easier in a profit driven business model is to either add more work or reduce the number of workers.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This is exactly the result. No matter how advanced AI gets, unless the singularity is realized, we will be no closer to some kind of 8-hour workweek utopia. These AI Silicon Valley fanatics are the same ones saying that basic social welfare programs are naive and un-implementable - so why would they suddenly change their entire perspective on life?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

we will be no closer to some kind of 8-hour workweek utopia.

If you haven't read this, it's short and worth the time. The short work week utopia is one of two possible outcomes imagined: https://marshallbrain.com/manna1

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

This vision of the AI making everything easier always leaves out the part where nobody has a job as a result.

Sure you can relax on a beach, you have all the time in the world now that you are unemployed. The disconnect is mind boggling.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

Universal Base Income - it's either that or just kill all the un-necessary poor people.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, but when the price is low enough (honestly free in a lot of cases) for a single person to use it, it also makes people less reliant on the services of big corporations.

For example, today’s AI can reliably make decent marketing websites, even when run by nontechnical people. Definitely in the “good enough” zone. So now small businesses don’t have to pay Webflow those crazy rates.

And if you run the AI locally, you can also be free of paying a subscription to a big AI company.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Except, no employer will allow you to use your own AI model. Just like you can't bring your own work equipment (which in many regards even is a good thing) companies will force you to use their specific type of AI for your work.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Presumably “small business” means self-employed or other employee-owned company. Not the bureaucratic nightmare that most companies are.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

No big employer... there are plenty of smaller companies who are open to do whatever works.