Majority of Europeans Call for Government Restrictions on Artificial Intelligence
Introduction
A recent study from Spain’s IE University reveals that a majority of Europeans are in favor of government regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) to protect job security.
According to the study, 68% of the 3,000 Europeans surveyed expressed the desire for their governments to implement rules to safeguard jobs in the face of increasing automation driven by AI.
This number represents an 18% increase compared to a similar study conducted by IE University in 2022, where 58% of respondents supported the regulation of AI.
“The most common fear among individuals is the potential loss of jobs,” stated Ikhlaq Sidhu, the dean of the IE School of SciTech at IE University.
Estonia’s Unique Perspective
Interestingly, Estonia stands out from the rest of Europe as the only country where the percentage of people in favor of AI regulation decreased. In Estonia, only 35% of the population wants their government to impose limits on AI, a 23% drop from the previous year.
However, the majority of Europeans remain supportive of government regulations on AI to minimize the risk of job losses.
“Public sentiment has been increasingly accepting of AI regulation, especially following the introduction of generative AI products like ChatGPT and others,” added Sidhu.
Governments worldwide are actively working on regulatory frameworks for AI algorithms, with the European Union’s AI Act being one prominent example. This legislation proposes a risk-based approach to governing AI, categorizing different applications based on their level of risk.
Efforts by the UK Government
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced plans to host an AI safety summit at Bletchley Park, the historic site where codebreakers helped end World War II, on November 1 and 2.
Sunak aims to position Britain as the “geographical home” for AI safety regulation, leveraging the country’s rich heritage in science and technology.
Notably, a significant portion of Europeans lack confidence in their ability to differentiate between AI-generated content and genuine content. According to IE University, only 27% of Europeans believe they can identify AI-generated fake content.
Among older citizens in Europe, 52% express doubts about their capability to discern AI-generated and authentic content.
Academics and regulators are concerned about the risks associated with AI-generated synthetic material that could potentially influence elections.
