Americans More Concerned About the Development of Artificial Intelligence: What Does the Afaq News Survey Reveal?

Americans view the growth and development of artificial intelligence technology with feelings of concern rather than enthusiasm, according to a new survey conducted by the Afaq News Network in collaboration with SSRS. There is broad consensus among members of various parties that the federal government needs to make more efforts to regulate this field. These concerns range from current developments in artificial intelligence to future possibilities and speculations raised by some technology experts and whistleblowers.

About 9 in 10 Americans say they feel more concern than enthusiasm about the possibility that artificial intelligence may one day surpass human intelligence. On a more realistic note, a similar number tend to feel concern rather than enthusiasm regarding the increasing number of data centers being created to support AI technologies.

Around 8 in 10 Americans also express feelings of concern regarding the rapid pace of artificial intelligence development and the potential for this technology to bring about radical changes in our way of life, while less than 20% say they feel significantly enthusiastic about any of these possibilities. About 7 in 10 Americans believe that the federal government is not making enough effort to regulate the growth and development of artificial intelligence.

The survey indicates widespread bipartisan support for the need for government action; 85% of Democrats, 67% of independents, and 63% of Republicans believe that the government has not done enough so far. These results reflect similar positions on AI regulation among political figures from different orientations, as both progressive Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon are among those calling for restrictions on the development of artificial intelligence.