In 2021, Stony Brook University started a study to see how Americans feel about artificial intelligence (AI). Their latest findings show that opinions on AI have changed.

The researchers compared data from random groups in 2021 and 2023 to see if attitudes toward AI shifted, especially after OpenAI launched its ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022.

Shifting perceptions

The study adds to previous research on how people see AI, using tools like the Jones-Skiena Public Opinion of Artificial Intelligence Dashboard and other surveys.

They surveyed two groups of about 500 Americans aged 18 and up, one in March 2021 and the other in April 2023. People shared their thoughts on whether we could make a computer that thinks like a human, if we should even try, and if such a system—called Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—should have the same rights as humans.

They used Google Surveys because it’s good at getting random groups that represent the population.

“What we truly wanted to know was the distribution and average of public opinion in the U.S. population,” the researchers explain. “A random, representative sample is the gold standard for estimating that in survey research. Google shut down their Google Surveys product in late 2022, so we used another platform called Prolific to do the same thing for the second sample.”

After gathering the data, a noticeable shift in opinion emerged regarding the possibility of creating an AGI system and whether it should be granted human-like rights.

In 2023, American adults expressed a greater belief in the feasibility of AGI, but they were more resolute in opposing the idea of giving these systems equal rights to humans. However, there wasn’t a significant change in public opinion about whether AGI should be developed, as it was only slightly favored in both sets of data.

Given the rapid pace of change in the field, the team plans to continue studying our perceptions of AI as it evolves.