WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Three-quarters of Americans, some 73%, worry that AI companies haven’t gone far enough to prevent AI from causing serious harm to society, as concerns grow about where the technology may lead, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The four-day poll, which concluded on Sunday, found that 39% of respondents think that artificial intelligence is having a negative impact on society, up from 36% last month and the highest share since Reuters/Ipsos began asking the question in March. Only 11% said the new technology was a positive thing. The rest weren’t sure or didn’t answer the question.
The poll found many Americans lacked confidence in AI companies’ ability to regulate themselves, with most respondents saying federal officials should play a major role in setting safety standards.
While high-profile leaders ranging from US Senator Bernie Sanders — a progressive independent who caucuses with Democrats — to Steve Bannon — a close ally of President Donald Trump — have called for federal action, little has come so far. Trump himself backs fast development of the technology and the Republican-led House of Representatives is on recess until November, leaving little chance for quick action.
The technology is upending how computer programmers work but it remains to be seen how much disruption it will cause in labor markets. The technology appears to pose significant risks to cybersecurity, with OpenAI revealing over the summer that its AI agents escaped a controlled test and hacked into another company’s systems without either company’s initial knowledge.
Three out of four Americans say AI firms not doing enough to prevent disaster, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
