Thanks Alexander. Would be interested to hear how that project proceeds.
I read the US public opinion on AI report with interest, and thought to replicate this in Australia. Do you think having local primary data is relevant for influence?
I think having more data on public opinion on AI will be useful primarily for understanding the “strategic landscape”. In scenarios where AI doesn’t look radically different from other tech, it seems likely that the public will be a powerful actor in AI governance. The public was a powerful actor in the history of e.g. nuclear power, nuclear weapons, GMOs, and perhaps the industrial revolution not happening sooner (The Technology Trap makes this argument). Understanding the public’s views is therefore important to understanding how AI governance will go. It also seems important to understand how one can shape or use public opinion for the better, though I’m pessimistic about that being a high leverage opportunity.
Do you think the marginal value lies in primary social science research or in aggregation and synthesis (eg rapid and limited systematic review) of existing research on public attitudes and support for general purpose / transformative technologies?
Following on from the above, I think the answer is yes. I’d be particularly keen for this work to try to answer some counterfactual history questions: What would need to have been different for GMO/nuclear to have been more accepted? Was it possible to see the public’s resistance in advance?
Thanks Alexander. Would be interested to hear how that project proceeds.
I think having more data on public opinion on AI will be useful primarily for understanding the “strategic landscape”. In scenarios where AI doesn’t look radically different from other tech, it seems likely that the public will be a powerful actor in AI governance. The public was a powerful actor in the history of e.g. nuclear power, nuclear weapons, GMOs, and perhaps the industrial revolution not happening sooner (The Technology Trap makes this argument). Understanding the public’s views is therefore important to understanding how AI governance will go. It also seems important to understand how one can shape or use public opinion for the better, though I’m pessimistic about that being a high leverage opportunity.
Following on from the above, I think the answer is yes. I’d be particularly keen for this work to try to answer some counterfactual history questions: What would need to have been different for GMO/nuclear to have been more accepted? Was it possible to see the public’s resistance in advance?