Where in the world are people most optimistic about AI?

Bosch surveyed respondents between the ages of 18 and 69 from Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The survey might not be representative of adults in every country polled; in China, for instance, Bosch only interviewed people from the wealthiest cities.

The data reveals a striking trend: In general, respondents from middle-income countries are more optimistic about AI than those from high-income countries. Around 83% of respondents from China and 75% of people from India say that AI technologies will change the world for the better. In contrast, less than half of those surveyed in Germany, France, and the U.S. agreed with the sentiment.

One reason for this discrepancy might be that people from developing countries have more to gain from the rise of AI. Wealthier countries also tend to have more educated professionals, such as doctors. AI systems that are smart enough to replace doctors and white collar workers might give many people a chance to afford services that they otherwise would not be able to, improving quality of life.

China, India, and Brazil survey respondents ranked 'better work outcomes' higher than Western countries as a personal benefit of AI. Globally, respondents considered improving health and making life more comfortable among AI's top advantages.

Another reason for the divide between middle- and high-income countries might be that those in developing countries tend to be more optimistic about economic forecasts. For instance, a survey conducted by Ipsos found that respondents in emerging markets were more likely to have confidence in the global economic outlook; 91% of people in Indonesia thought 2024 would be a better year for them than 2023. Only 65% of U.S. respondents and 39% of people in Japan agreed.

AI inspires awe and fear in nearly equal measure. About 2 in 5 survey participants believe AI will positively impact society—roughly the same share who believe AI will have a negative impact. Other emerging fields, such as biotechnology and climate engineering, were much less polarizing. Around 1 in 3 respondents thought those two technologies would be positive for society, while only 1 in 10 thought they would be harmful.

An estimated 52% of respondents said they worried AI might violate peoples' privacy or manipulate people's behavior. Many tech companies hope to build AI systems that can serve as personal assistants, a development that raises new privacy and security concerns.

In a recent interview with Sally Kornbluth, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pointed out that a robot that reads your emails and keeps track of your everyday activities could be used against you, possibly in a legal situation.

The most commonly cited fear about AI was its job loss. Some 53% of respondents agreed that AI systems could automate their jobs and replace them. People were especially fearful of humanoid robots—only 17% of respondents said they expected such machines to have a positive impact on society while 30% said they expected androids to have a negative effect.

These fears are not unfounded. AI is developing quickly, and estimates about its impact on the job market vary. One 2023 analysis by Goldman Sachs estimates that AI could partially automate one-fourth of work tasks in America and two-thirds of occupations. According to the investment bank's research, office administrative roles, legal professions, as well as architecture and engineering jobs are vulnerable to AI automation.

Historically, automation and new technology have vastly changed the workforce. For instance, agricultural innovations slashed the agricultural workforce; only about 1% of American workers are farmers today. The internet has eliminated certain businesses, such as movie rental stores and travel agencies.

However, innovations have also opened doors. Deep data engineers and prompt developers are just some of the roles AI might help create. If AI is as disruptive as the internet, it could mean that many jobs will become obsolete—and others will be born.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.