Generative AI Its popularity is growing, but there may be a major roadblock to further integrating this technology into our daily lives. We still don't trust it. Or, according to Deloitte, we don't really trust the companies behind it. Survey of connected consumers of 3,500 US consumers.
While more than half (53%) of those surveyed said they either experiment with or regularly use generative AI, even more (69%) said they are concerned that innovation is happening too quickly and that tech companies are not paying enough attention to risks.
“Consumers are using AI more, they're paying more for it, and yet they're also increasingly concerned about potential abuses and dangers associated with AI,” Steve Feinberg, vice chairman and U.S. technology sector leader at Deloitte, told CNET.
The survey revealed two seemingly counterintuitive trends associated with the rapid development of generative AI. On the one hand, more people are using generative AI more frequently and to a greater extent. more ways every daybut a growing number—even those who use it frequently—still have serious concerns. AI is becoming commonplace, appearing in our phones, our search engines and ours TVsat the same time it becomes more powerful.
On the other hand, generative AI exacerbates mental health problems And addictionsinvades our privacy and gets the facts wrong all the time. For the most part, we are aware of these problems and dangers.
Never miss any of our unbiased technical content and behind-the-lab reviews. Add CNET as Google's preferred source.
People pay for AI and actually use the applications
Just because AI is everywhere doesn't mean it's always free. While most AI developers offer free versions of their services, there are limitations, including limited features or limits on how much you can use them. About 4 in 10 Deloitte surveyed said they pay for generative AI products. Among those who do not pay, half said it is because free tools are good enough.
Then there's the question of usage: 65% of people use AI through standalone mobile apps (like OpenAI's ChatGPT app or Google's Gemini app) and a slightly smaller share (60%) use AI-enabled websites.
A smaller percentage of respondents mentioned the use of AI in online services, social networks, messaging applications or other software. However, collectively these categories represented 69% of respondents, meaning that most people encounter AI even when they're not looking for it.
Check this out: OpenAI Study on How We Use Artificial Intelligence, Potential TikTok Sale, Spotify Will Finally Deliver Lossless Audio | Technology today
People want technology they can trust
Generative AI results may be notoriously inaccurate. Despite the increase in use, more than half of those surveyed said they mostly or always verify the information they receive from chatbots by checking reliable sources or their own knowledge.
The biggest challenge seems to be data privacy. Since last year's survey, the proportion of people concerned about privacy and security has risen from 60% to 70%, with nearly half of respondents saying they had experienced at least one incident such as a hack, account hacking or stolen identitylast year.
These are not just malicious outsiders. People worry that tech companies won't respect their privacy and security. Deloitte asked how willing consumers are to share eight different types of personal data in exchange for a better digital experience. In none of these cases were more people “very willing to share” information than “not at all willing.”
In particular, most people were generally reluctant to share biometric, communications, or financial data. Consumers seem to be the most willing to share fitness data, which makes sense given the proliferation of wearable fitness tracking devicesbut even then, more people were reluctant to share information at all (30%) than were very willing (22%).
“I think there is a lot of work to be done to move the needle in this area,” Feinberg said.
Read more: Artificial Intelligence Basics: 29 Ways to Make Gen AI Work for You, According to Our Experts
The Deloitte study is consistent with other recent polls, such as one released in September by the Pew Research Center, which found that 61% of Americans want greater control over the use of AI in their life as a choice to refuse.
Aside from the potential harms of artificial intelligence, many users are simply unimpressed by the technology's evolving capabilities. More than three in four people said tech companies are too focused on beating competitors rather than solving real problems, and two-thirds said most new features don't solve their problems.
Deloitte has found that consumers are much more willing to spend money with companies they trust. People want innovative technology companies and products, but they want to further protect their privacy and security.
“This is a long-term thing,” Feinberg said. “It takes years and years and years to build trust, but you can also lose trust in a matter of seconds.”
