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Is the US falling behind in embracing AI? New survey reveals surprising results
US lags in AI acceptance, says Ipsos survey of 28 countries. Only 35% Americans think AI has more benefits than drawbacks, lower than the global average.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the world, but how does the United States compare to the rest of the world when it comes to embracing this technology? According to a recent Ipsos survey, not so well.
The survey data, which polled 19,504 adults aged 18 to 74 across 28 countries, showed that only 35% of Americans agree that products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks. This is significantly lower than the global average of 55% and is even lower than countries like Brazil and South Africa.
The countries with the highest and lowest percentages of respondents agreeing with the statement “Products and services using artificial intelligence have more benefits than drawbacks” | ||
| Country | % Agreeing With Statement | GDP per capita |
| China | 78% | $12,556 |
| Saudi Arabia | 76% | $23,186 |
| India | 71% | $2,257 |
| Peru | 70% | $6,622 |
| United States | 35% | $70,249 |
| Netherlands | 33% | $57,768 |
| Canada | 32% | $51,988 |
| France | 31% | $43,659 |
In November and December 2021, Ipsos conducted a survey spanning 28 countries and involving 19,504 adults aged 18 to 74. The respondents were asked whether products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks. The percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement was then recorded for each country. The results indicated that respondents from wealthier countries were less likely to agree with the statement.
It's worth noting that the survey data from developing economies like China and India reflected more tech-savvy segments of their population, as their samples were more urban, educated, and affluent. This could explain why these countries showed higher levels of acceptance towards AI compared to wealthier countries. These findings underscore the importance of considering the demographics of survey samples in interpreting the results.
Further survey results also revealed that Americans are less likely to believe that products and services using AI make their lives easier than people in other countries. Only 41% of Americans agreed with the statement that “Products and services using AI make my life easier.” This is a significant difference when compared to the highest-ranking country, China, with 87% agreeing with the same statement.
| The countries with the highest and lowest percentages of respondents agreeing with the statement “Products and services using artificial intelligence make my life easier” | ||
| Country | % Agreeing With Statement | GDP per capita |
| China | 87% | $12,556 |
| Saudi Arabia | 80% | $23,186 |
| South Korea | 74% | $34,998 |
| Peru | 74% | $6,622 |
| UK | 45% | $46,510 |
| Canada | 44% | $51,988 |
| United States | 41% | $70,249 |
| France | 39% | $43,659 |
Looking ahead, will AI bring significant changes to Americans' daily lives in the next 3-5 years? The survey results show that only 33% of Americans believe so, falling short of the global average of 47%.
| The countries with the highest and lowest percentages of respondents agreeing with the statement “Products and services using AI will profoundly change my daily life in the next 3-5 years” | ||
| Country | % Agreeing With Statement | GDP per capita |
| Saudi Arabia | 80% | $23,186 |
| China | 80% | $12,556 |
| South Korea | 76% | $34,998 |
| India | 74% | $2,257 |
| United States | 46% | $70,249 |
| UK | 46% | $46,510 |
| France | 45% | $43,659 |
| Canada | 44% | $51,988 |
| Germany | 44% | $51,203 |
As the world becomes more reliant on Artificial Intelligence (AI), it's fascinating to consider why wealthier populations tend to be more skeptical about it. One theory suggests that advanced economies, such as the US, have a higher proportion of service-based employment, leading to a greater fear of job loss due to automation. In contrast, developing countries may have a larger proportion of agricultural and industrial employment, which might be viewed as more susceptible to automation.
As AI continues to evolve and expand, it will be interesting to see how public sentiment toward it changes. For now, it seems that developing countries are leading the charge in embracing this new technology, while wealthier countries are taking a more cautious approach. Only time will tell which approach will prove to be more successful in the long run.
