Americans are increasingly concerned about the potential risks artificial intelligence (AI) poses in society – particularly Trump supporters and Evangelical Christians. According to a new poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, 61% of American adults believe AI poses an existential threat to humanity, while only 23% disagree with this notion.
The survey results indicate that opinions regarding risks associated with AI may vary from person to person. Among respondents who voted for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, 70% consider AI as a dangerous threat, compared to the 60% of participants who voted for Joe Biden. This difference in opinion across party lines may be due to different perspectives on the technology.
The survey also revealed that the respondents’ religious beliefs may also play a role in their perceptions of AI. 32% of Evangelical Christians said they “strongly agree” that AI could be a risk for a society, while only 24% of non-Evangelical Christians made the same statement.
These worries are also echoed by prominent industry leaders. Microsoft’s Bill Gates is one of many who are sounding the alarm around the potential dangers AI could bring. AI expert and “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton has even gone as far as to state that AI holds a “more urgent” threat than climate change. Elon Musk, a well-known entrepreneur and founder of Tesla, has also voiced his concerns, saying that AI poses a greater risk to the public than any other existing defective product.
This issue has increasingly gained urgency, as many experts agree more needs to be done to ensure AI is deployed safely. Recently, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, urged the US government to create a specific agency to oversee AI projects and preventing potential risks caused by AI.
