AI is threat to future of humanity, say 61% Americans

More than half of Americans fear artificial intelligence is a threat to human civilization, according to a new poll by Reuters/Ipsos.

According to the online survey, released Wednesday, 61% of respondents believe that AI poses risks to humanity, while only 22% disagreed, and 17% remained unsure.

"It's telling such a broad swath of Americans worry about the negative effects of AI," said Landon Klein, Director of US policy at the Future of Life Institute.

Future of Life happens to be the organization behind an open letter demanding a six-month pause in AI research.

“Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources,” the letter warns.

The March letter has been co-signed by thousands of tech industry heavyweights, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Steve Wozniak.

Klein compared this moment in history to the beginning of the nuclear era.

"We view the current moment similar, and we have the benefit of public perception that is consistent with the need to take action," Kein said.

US lawmakers are also concerned about the unchecked explosion of AI technology.

ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, testified before US Congress in Washington DC Tuesday to talk about the need for AI regulations to deter the potential misuse of the technology.

The May poll also showed the level of concern people have about AI threatening humanity varied among political parties.

70% of those who cast a ballot for Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2020 presidential election, were more concerned about AI, compared to voters for Democratic President Joe Biden, at only 60%.

Religious groups followed suit, with conservative Evangelical Christians more likely to "strongly agree" that AI presents risks to humanity (32%) compared to non-Evangelical Christians (24%).

The online poll of more than 4,000 adult Americans was conducted between May 9 and May 15, with an error margin of 2 percentage points.

A similar Ipsos poll conducted in April, showed over 70% of US residents are worried about the impact AI could have on jobs and society.

That poll also showed nearly 80% of Americans are concerned about AI driven disinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news.

The numbers also showed that roughly one in six Americans report having used a generative AI program like Chat-GPT or DALL-E.

Meanwhile, some in the industry believe the public should be more educated in the benefits of artificial intelligence.

“The concerns are very legitimate, but I think what’s missing in the dialogue, in general, is why are we doing this in the first place?” said Google X founder Sebastian Thrun.

“AI will raise peoples’ quality of life, and help people be more competent and more efficient,” Thrun said.