There is a growing divergence in attitudes towards generative AI worldwide, as shown by the results of a large-scale Ipsos Mori survey of twenty-three thousand people in thirty countries. Residents of English-speaking countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada, feel significantly more concerned about the rapid development of this technology than those in the largest EU economies. In France, Germany, and Italy, only half or fewer respondents admitted that new AI-based products and services cause them anxiety, whereas in the UK, two-thirds feel this way.
The study also revealed significant differences in trust towards governments regarding AI regulation. The lowest trust levels were recorded in the USA, UK, and Japan, where less than half of the citizens are confident in the government’s responsible approach. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asian countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand — enthusiasm for AI is striking: the level of excitement here is almost twice as high as in the USA and UK, and trust in government control over the technology remains high.
The survey showed that a quarter of people worldwide still do not have a clear understanding of what AI is, despite its powerful impact in many areas. Most respondents oppose the creation of news materials, films, and advertisements using AI, yet they acknowledge that AI will soon become the main producer of such content. This is particularly evident in forecasts regarding the emergence of TV programs, sports matches, and even job announcements created by artificial intelligence.
Particular attention is drawn to concerns about the labor market: almost a third of Britons fear that AI will completely replace their jobs, whereas in Thailand, nearly three-quarters of respondents hold this view, and in Sweden, only fourteen percent do. Globally, only thirty-one percent of people hope for an improvement in employment opportunities due to AI, while thirty-five percent predict a deterioration.
