I came across a study from the Harris Poll recently that's really stuck in my mind.
It's called the AI Atlas, and is a global study mapping how people relate to and use AI from around the world.
What they did was go beyond the standard AI adoption story: who is using X, Y, Z AI tech, and instead looked at how different groups think about and have a relationship to AI.
Here's some of what they found:
- AI adoption is moving outpacing people's trust: Because AI is being integrated into everything, people have less of a choice about whether or not to use it. People still don't trust AI and are being forced to use it before they are fully comfortable
- AI Maximizers (9% of the global population): They not only use AI all the time but see it as part of their identity
The AI resister segment was interesting to me. I hear a lot from resisters because they are very vocal and dominate a lot of conversations about whether or not to use AI in areas like writing.
There were two groups that I put into the resister bucket:
- 'Selective Adopters'. They are 21% of the global population. They use AI when they see a benefit, but otherwise avoid it. They know about AI agents, but don't use them. They also say using AI makes them feel less authentic. I can see how this perception feeds into how they might evaluate using AI for writing and art. If AI has touched it, it's slop to them.
- 'Skeptical Resisters'. These people are extremely distrustful of AI. They aren't ignorant of AI, but they've used it and have largely rejected it. They don't trust AI-generated information, and don't want Ai to make decisions for them. They are also afraid AI will take job opportunities away from them.
Heres' a link to the report for those interested in learning more.
When considering about how I use and think about AI, I feel like I move between these groups. Sometimes I'm an AI maximizer. Other times I'm a Selective Adopter.
I understand why people are Skeptical Resisters too. There was a time when I was fearful of AI because I wasn't sure if I was going to be made obsolete by the technology.
Do you move back and forth in your perspective on AI? Are there some areas where you resist it, but others where you're an AI Maximizer?
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