It may not matter if the US produces the best AI technology if Americans don’t use it. A new report by PR firm Edelman, which surveyed 5,000 individuals from various countries, found Chinese and Brazilian respondents significantly more open to using AI than participants from the US, UK, and Germany — a trend that persisted across all age groups. Individuals from Brazil and China were also more likely to believe the technology will solve environmental, mental health, and financial challenges. Critics of the AI safety movement say one reason for the anti-AI sentiment in the US is a well-funded lobbying campaign against the technology.
Perhaps the disconnect isn’t in whether individuals want to use AI, but in their requirement of it: 79% of Chinese respondents said they feel the use of generative AI is being “forced” on them, compared to 59% of US survey participants, Edelman told Semafor. Given this information, US companies may need to incentivize workers to further adopt AI if the US wants to keep its tech advantage.