I think it’s potentially misleading to talk about public opinion on AI exclusively in terms of US polling data, when we know the US is one of the most pessimistic countries in the world regarding AI, according to Ipsos polling. The figure below shows agreement with the statement “Products and services using artificial intelligence have more benefits than drawbacks”, across different countries:
This is especially true given the relatively smaller fraction of the world population that the US and similarly pessimistic countries represent.
For what it’s worth, if history is a reliable guide, I expect the United States to have some of the loosest regulations on AI. China, in particular, resisted industrialization for over one hundred years even after losing several wars due to their smaller industrial capacity. And their leadership is currently cracking down on their tech industry more fiercely than the US is cracking down on theirs. Longstanding norms and laws in the West have historically favored technological development more than other nations, and I think that datapoint is stronger evidence than evidence from public opinion polling.
I did point out in the first paragraph that I am American and focusing on US advocacy. The US is going to be a policy leader on this space so I don’t think the population argument makes sense.
This question is also different than asking about potential future danger so I’m not sure how to take it. I would answer that today’s products and services have more benefits than drawbacks.
Insightful stats! They also show 1) attitudes in Europe close to those in the US. My hunch is that in the EU there could be comparable or even more support for “Pause AI”, because of the absence of top AI labs. 2) A correlation with factors such as GDP and freedom of speech. Not sure which effect dominates and what to make of it. But censorship in China surely won’t help advocacy efforts.
So the stats make me more hopeful for advocacy impact also in EU & UK. But less so China, which is a relevant player (mixed recent messages on that with the chip advances & economic slowdown).
I think it’s potentially misleading to talk about public opinion on AI exclusively in terms of US polling data, when we know the US is one of the most pessimistic countries in the world regarding AI, according to Ipsos polling. The figure below shows agreement with the statement “Products and services using artificial intelligence have more benefits than drawbacks”, across different countries:
This is especially true given the relatively smaller fraction of the world population that the US and similarly pessimistic countries represent.
For what it’s worth, if history is a reliable guide, I expect the United States to have some of the loosest regulations on AI. China, in particular, resisted industrialization for over one hundred years even after losing several wars due to their smaller industrial capacity. And their leadership is currently cracking down on their tech industry more fiercely than the US is cracking down on theirs. Longstanding norms and laws in the West have historically favored technological development more than other nations, and I think that datapoint is stronger evidence than evidence from public opinion polling.
I did point out in the first paragraph that I am American and focusing on US advocacy. The US is going to be a policy leader on this space so I don’t think the population argument makes sense.
This question is also different than asking about potential future danger so I’m not sure how to take it. I would answer that today’s products and services have more benefits than drawbacks.
Insightful stats! They also show
1) attitudes in Europe close to those in the US. My hunch is that in the EU there could be comparable or even more support for “Pause AI”, because of the absence of top AI labs.
2) A correlation with factors such as GDP and freedom of speech. Not sure which effect dominates and what to make of it. But censorship in China surely won’t help advocacy efforts.
So the stats make me more hopeful for advocacy impact also in EU & UK. But less so China, which is a relevant player (mixed recent messages on that with the chip advances & economic slowdown).