Why Are Americans Concerned About The Rapid Growth Of AI?

Public opinion is like a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other, and the only time It settles in the middle is when it runs out of energy. Right now, the subject is AI, and that pendulum is swinging. 

There’s been a lot of positive energy generated around the concept of artificial intelligence. Most of it was stoked by the “Tech Boys” that have a financial stake in its success. Early adopters of AI have found ways to use it in order to increase productivity and decrease staffing. 

Now the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction. 

According to axios.com,
‘If AI were a candidate for political office, it would be losing in a landslide. 
The AI hype cycle would have you believe the technology is inevitable. But AI backlash is growing, as people worry it will steal their jobs, jack up electricity rates and further enrich the wealthy, all while hurting the environment.’ 

What is happening? 

In Florida during commencement address real estate executive Gloria Caulfield said, “artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution,” The response from the crowd? Loud booing. 

In Seattle, city officials are now thinking about a one-year moratorium on the building of new data centers (Essential for AI) because of the prodigious amount of electricity that data centers use. 

The general unhappiness about AI seems to be spanning Political parties and generations. Recent polling shows that 70% of American’s believe that AI is progressing too quickly. When you split it out by political parties, 77% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans believe AI is moving too fast. 

Check out the demographics. 

In a survey of over 1500 adults, these are the percentages based on demographics of people who believe that AI is happening too quickly. 

65 and older, 79% 

45 to 64, 72%. 

33 to 44, 67%. 

18 to 29, 64%. 

Money speaks louder than words. 

For the most part, the “tech boys” that are funding this AI revolution don’t seem to perceive the negative opinion of the Average person at all.  

Meta just laid off 1400 people in the Seattle area this week, and who shows up in his super yacht the same day? Mark Zuckerberg. It’s probably just a coincidence, but the optics are bad. 

Axios reports.
‘AI executives at multiple frontier AI labs were surprised by the negative opinions. They see AI as just as inevitable as the rise of the internet.’ 

The future is not inevitable. Nothing is cast in stone, and even though money can push a lot of unpopular things to fruition. There is no guarantee that artificial intelligence will be the dominant technology in the world, at least not this month. 

But just in case, I may have to start thinking about a new career.