British Columbians becoming more wary of AI as awareness grows – SFU study

media release

British Columbians becoming more wary of AI as awareness grows - SFU study

British Columbians are growing increasingly wary of artificial intelligence and the companies behind the technology, according to a Simon Fraser University survey.

As AI becomes more prevalent, B.C. residents are becoming more skeptical about its impact and less trusting of tech companies and those who lead them.

The survey also indicates that British Columbians expect governments to play a central role in regulating AI, while there is limited appetite for solutions whereby companies self-regulate or individuals become more literate about AI.

The survey [INSERT LINK] of around 1,000 British Columbians was carried out earlier this year by the Dialogue on Technology Project, part of the Morris J. Wosk SFU Centre for Dialogue.

The aim was to see how people's views had changed, following an initial survey in 2024.

Awareness of and attitudes towards AI

• British Columbians' awareness of AI has increased substantially since late 2024. A majority of people in the province (54 per cent) now say they have heard or read "a great deal" or "a lot" about AI, up 17 percentage points since 2024.
• An increasing number of British Columbians have used some form of AI. More than six in ten now say they have used AI in some form, a nine-point increase.
• 79 per cent say they are "more concerned than excited" about AI in daily life, a seven-point jump.
• 86 per cent (up 6 percentage points) of respondents worry that AI will make people feel more disconnected in society. 85 per cent are concerned about losing the human touch with more AI.
• 75 per cent do not trust AI to avoid discriminating or showing bias towards certain groups of people, up five percentage points.
• 65 per cent of respondents believe the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits of AI, compared to 56 per cent in 2024.

"The national conversation around artificial intelligence often assumes that low public trust of the technology stems from a lack of familiarity with it," says Fergus Linley-Mota, director of the Dialogue on Technology Project.

"Our research turns this on its head. As British Columbians become more aware of AI and increase their use of it, they're actually becoming more wary of its effects on society.

"Literacy programs won't solve AI's trust problem on their own - people need to feel that they can be protected from the unsafe design of these systems."

Impact of AI

• More residents now feel AI is going to fundamentally change B.C. society - 41 per cent, up 9 percentage points.
• Most (52 per cent) continue to believe that AI has a positive impact on the amount of time it takes to get things done. On the other hand, a growing majority of people in the province (77 per cent, up 5 percentage points) think AI's current impact on people keeping their information private is more negative than positive.
• Close to two-thirds see AI more negatively when it comes to the way students learn (64 per cent, up 12 percentage points).
• Half of British Columbians now feel the use of AI in the workplace is having a more negative impact on BC workers generally, up 10 percentage points from 2024.

Concerns about the use of AI

Five specific uses of artificial intelligence continue to generate the highest level of concern among respondents:

• Manipulated video/audio (deepfakes) used to discredit political opponents (91 per cent say it's a concern).
• Unregulated use of personal information to train AI models (89 per cent).
• Government agencies using AI to make critical decisions (83 per cent).
• Companies cutting jobs using AI for greater efficiencies (81 per cent).
• Use of AI systems to replace medical professionals (75 per cent).

British Columbians expressed a growing level of concern about five other uses of AI:

• Governments using AI systems to determine citizen access to essential public benefits or services (75 per cent, up 10 percentage points).
• Environmental impact of amount of energy needed to train/run AI models (69 per cent, up 13 percentage points).
• Employers using AI to screen job candidates (69 per cent, up 6 percentage points).
• Use of AI in education (66 per cent, up 13 percentage points).

Regulation, trust and information

• British Columbians remain steadfast in their view that it is government's responsibility to regulate companies developing AI to ensure it is accurate and not harmful. A majority (52 per cent) hold this view, about the same number as in 2024.
• Unchanged from 2024, fewer (27 per cent) say it is the companies themselves who should be responsible for keeping their AI systems safe for users.
• One in five feel it is up to individuals to become literate and build up their own ways of using AI and minimizing its risk to them, unchanged from 2024.
• Most British Columbians continue to not trust most key actors to manage and develop AI systems carefully and with the public's well-being in mind, the sole exception being academic institutions.
• The harshest judgement when it comes to trust is directed at tech companies with more than three quarters of the BC population saying they do not trust them, including almost half who now say they do not trust them at all (up seven percentage points since 2024).
• Trust levels in the federal and provincial governments do not fare much better; more than half do not trust either one to act in the public's interest when it comes to AI, with close to three in ten saying they do not trust them at all.

"People are looking to government to regulate AI in a way that will keep them safe from its risks, and yet trust in institutions remains low," says Linley-Mota.

"Nationally, the federal government is taking aim at some of the public's concerns with new online harms and privacy legislation, but many details about what safe design regulations will look like in practice remain unclear, and it could be a long time before they come into force.

"In the meantime, it is critical that government of all levels engage with the public around AI's use and effects, and focus energy and resources on rebuilding institutional trust."

• Click here for the full survey results
  

AVAILABLE EXPERT

FERGUS LINLEY-MOTA, director, Dialogue on Technology Project [email protected]

CONTACT

SAM SMITH, SFU Communication & Marketing 778.782.3210 | [email protected]

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