[Paper Review] Public Perception of AI: Sentiment and Opportunity

J. Seth|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jul 22, 2024

Misinformation and Its Impacts4 citations

TL;DR

This paper analyzes global public perception of AI through a 10,000-participant survey across ten countries, revealing that while 50% believe AI will replace workers, the public favors companies using AI for societal good—such as solving climate change or improving healthcare—leading to higher trust, purchase intent, and job interest. The key contribution is evidence that AI’s public image improves when framed as a tool for solving pressing human problems.

ABSTRACT

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly influences various aspects of society, there is growing public interest in its potential benefits and risks. In this paper we present results of public perception of AI from a survey conducted with 10,000 respondents spanning ten countries in four continents around the world. The results show that currently an equal percentage of respondents who believe AI will change the world as we know it, also believe AI needs to be heavily regulated. However, our findings also indicate that despite the general sentiment among the global public that AI will replace workers, if a company were to use AI to innovate to improve lives, the public would be more likely to think highly of the company, purchase from them and even be interested in a job in that company. Our results further reveal that the global public largely views AI as a tool for problem solving. These nuanced results underscore the importance of AI directed towards challenges that the public would like science and technology-based innovations to address. We draw on a multi-year 3M study of public perception of science to provide further context on what the public perceives as important problems to be solved.

Motivation & Objective

• To understand global public sentiment toward AI and its implications for technology adoption and policy.
• To identify which societal challenges the public sees as most urgent and where AI can play a constructive role.
• To examine the relationship between AI use in innovation and public trust, consumer behavior, and workforce perception.
• To assess how public perception of AI has evolved over time using longitudinal data from 3M’s State of Science Surveys (2018–2024).
• To guide responsible AI development by aligning innovation with public values and societal priorities such as sustainability and health.

Proposed method

• Conducted a global online survey with 10,000 respondents across ten countries on four continents to assess public perception of AI.
• Analyzed sentiment trends using data from 3M’s longitudinal State of Science Index (SOSI) surveys from 2018 to 2024.
• Mapped public priorities for science and technology innovation, particularly in healthcare, climate change, and sustainability.
• Evaluated the impact of AI use in companies on public trust, consumer purchase intent, and job attraction.
• Used qualitative and quantitative analysis to link public perception with societal values and sustainable development goals (SDGs).
• Incorporated findings from prior studies and consensus papers on AI risks and benefits to contextualize public sentiment.

Figure 1A: General population responses for “To what extent are you integrating AI into your work environment and process (i.e. using AI to write emails or basic code, generating content using AI, etc.)?” (Question 23 from the 2024 3M State of Science Insights)

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How do global public perceptions of AI’s societal impact compare across different regions and demographic groups?
• RQ2 What factors influence public trust in AI, particularly when used by companies for innovation versus automation?
• RQ3 To what extent does the public associate AI with solving major global challenges such as climate change and healthcare?
• RQ4 How has public perception of AI evolved from 2018 to 2024, particularly regarding job displacement and ethical concerns?
• RQ5 What role does public perception play in shaping the future development and governance of AI technologies?

Key findings

• 50% of global respondents believe AI will replace workers, yet 75% agree that AI is an exciting technology impacting daily life.
• 80% of global respondents believe AI can help build a more sustainable future, and 89% agree science and technology should advance the planet.
• When companies use AI to innovate and improve lives, 68% of respondents are more likely to purchase from them, and 58% express interest in working at such companies.
• Despite concerns about job loss, 60% of global respondents view AI as an improvement (not a threat) to society, and 51% see its impact on their jobs as mostly positive.
• Climate change is perceived as one of the biggest threats to humanity, with 81% of respondents identifying it as a major concern, and 68% of Americans agreeing AI can help address it.
• Environmental concerns about AI’s energy use—especially in training generative AI models—were cited by some respondents as a reason to resist adopting Gen AI.

Figure 1B: Responses grouped by gender for “To what extent are you integrating AI into your work environment and process (i.e. using AI to write emails or basic code, generating content using AI, etc.)?” (Question 23 from the 2024 3M State of Science Insights)