AI becomes a top global concern

What worries the world? Inflation, war, climate change, and now, artificial intelligence.

A new survey by UK-based research firm Public First, which polled more than 18,000 people across 15 countries, found that just over a third of respondents ranked AI development among their top concerns for the next five years. That puts it ahead of longstanding anxieties like immigration and migration, energy security, and geopolitical rivalries, per the poll.

The countries surveyed included advanced economies such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as emerging economies like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and Vietnam. (As a note, Public First is not affiliated with Public First Action, the political group backed by the AI company Anthropic.)

Public attitudes have evolved almost as quickly as the technology itself. What began as the novelty of generative AI tools like ChatGPT when it was released in 2022 has since grown into a technology that the world is projected to spend over $2 trillion on this year, with far-reaching consequences. Fears of job displacement, loss of human control over advanced AI systems, and misuse by bad actors were among the most common concerns. Many of the poll’s respondents described scenarios in which AI “takes control” as a major source of anxiety.

Yet the anxieties are not across the board, and the survey points to a growing gap between countries. Respondents in advanced economies – where concerns about AI replacing white-collar and entry-level jobs are especially acute – were generally the most pessimistic. The United States and Canada recorded the highest net share of negative views on whether AI would make society better rather than worse, followed by France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

In developing countries, the picture was markedly different. Nigeria – a rapidly digitizing economy with a young, tech-savvy workforce – recorded the highest net share of people who believed AI would have a positive impact on society, followed by Vietnam, India, and Brazil. That optimism is often linked to expectations that AI can drive economic growth and expand access to opportunities.

Regardless of whether people view AI with optimism or dread, the data suggests most see it as the most important technology in the world. As the report puts it: “AIs might be tools, but almost nobody treats them as a dishwasher.” The debate is no longer whether AI matters, but how much power it will ultimately possess.