Mapping artificial intelligence resistance

The Ipsos data reveals a clear divergence in AI perception: countries like China, India, and Indonesia exhibit strong optimism, with a large majority viewing AI positively. This contrasts sharply with Western nations such as the US, Britain, France, and the Netherlands, where a much smaller proportion shares this view. This is not a simple East-West divide, however, as only half of Japanese respondents see more benefits than drawbacks.

This optimism in Asian regions does not appear to stem from a lack of awareness regarding AI's potential risks. The Expert Survey on Progress in AI, published in September, indicates that researchers educated in Asia actually assign higher probabilities to severe outcomes, including human extinction or comparable loss of control, than their counterparts educated in North America or Europe. This suggests that a willingness to embrace AI coexists with a clear understanding of its inherent dangers.

Economic factors also play a role, but not in a straightforward manner. While better-educated, high-income Americans show more enthusiasm for AI, a cross-country comparison reveals that several middle-income societies are among the most optimistic, while wealthier nations like the US, Germany, and Canada remain warier. The most plausible explanation offered is that AI means different things depending on a society's existing resources; in affluent economies, AI often competes with established, expensive human expertise, whereas in other contexts, it provides capabilities that were previously unavailable.