Nebraskans wary of risks surrounding artificial intelligence

Americans are grappling with artificial intelligence — from its lightning-fast development to the construction of data centers to support it — and becoming more skeptical of its benefits.

According to the new Nebraska Snapshot, most Nebraskans — nearly three in four — rated the risks of AI for society as high or very high. Additionally, less than one in five Nebraskans surveyed rated the benefits as high or very high.

The Nebraska Snapshot is reported from the Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey, an annual review of the state's adults fielded by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Bureau of Sociological Research.

Forty percent of respondents rated the benefits of AI as medium, and 31% rated the benefits as low or very low, while 11% said they were unsure.

Younger respondents and those with more education were slightly more confident about the benefits of AI, as 21% of those 19-64 rated the benefits as high or very high, while only 11% of those 65 and older said the same. Similarly, 24% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher rated the benefits of AI as high or very high, in contrast to only 19% of those with some college or less.

However, younger Nebraskans were also more wary about the risks, as 78% of respondents 19-64 rated the risks of AI as very high or high, compared to only 65% of those 65 and older.

“It seems a majority of Nebraskans are nervous about artificial intelligence,” said Amanda Ganshert, co-author of the report and assistant director for research and methods at the Bureau of Sociological Research. “Men, younger adults and employed Nebraskans rated both the perceived benefits and risks of AI higher than their counterparts.”

Twenty-three percent of Nebraska men surveyed rated the benefits of AI to society as high or very high, in contrast with only 15% of women. Meanwhile, 78% of men rated the risks as high or very high, compared to 71% of women.

Democrats and independents appear to have more reservations about AI than Republican peers. Eighty-one percent of Democrats and 80% of independents and others surveyed rated the risks of AI as high or very high, while only 67% of Republicans said the same. Nearly one in five in all three groups rated the benefits as high or very high.

A previous Nebraska Snapshot explored Nebraskans’ perceptions of AI and found that 47% of respondents said they had read or heard a lot about artificial intelligence, while 53% reported they have read or heard little or nothing about it. Additionally, 45% of respondents said they had little or no control over artificial intelligence in their life, while 35% said they had some control, and only 19% said they had a great deal or quite a bit of control.

The Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey is used by researchers, state entities and policymakers, but also includes a core questionnaire that delves into demographics, quality of life measures, educational attainment and community satisfaction, among other variables. These core questions will inform most of the Nebraska Snapshot series. This is the first time the survey has included questions about artificial intelligence.

All Nebraska Snapshots are available online. To include research questions on the next NASIS administration, email bosr@unl.edu.