AI is becoming a dirty word

You may have noticed, but people don’t like AI very much. Of course, it depends on the circles you move in, but survey after survey shows that the general perception is becoming increasingly negative. Anecdotal evidence for this can also be found when talking to people outside the IT sphere, or hanging out on the internet. In many comment fields, AI is almost a swear word today.

A rather telling survey came out the other day: One in five Swedes feels ashamed about using AI at work. And it’s easy to imagine how the conversation goes in the workplace to provoke such feelings, when the technology that is supposed to revolutionize how we work is seen as something shameful.

Last week, union think tank Futurion released a report on Swedes’ views on AI, and it’s not exactly fun reading for tech optimists. Swedes believe AI will make almost everything worse, whether it’s about the labor market, democracy, or security. 

The survey also shows that younger people are very, very worried. Six out of 10 students look with horror at their future working life, with fewer jobs and outdated knowledge.

International surveys say the same thing. An American Gallup poll from April showed that Generation Z is becoming increasingly angry and anxious, while their enthusiasm and optimism are rising. We have also seen this physically recently when clips were circulated of students booing prominent graduation speakers who talk positively about AI. 

At the same time, another form of physical resistance to AI development is emerging in the form of a movement that fights against the construction of new data centers. It is mainly occurring in the US, but it is only a matter of time before we see the same thing in Sweden.

There are several reasons for all this. An important key is found in Stanford’s big AI report from last spring, which, among other things, examined the difference in attitudes towards AI between AI experts and ordinary people. And the gap between what tech people think and what ordinary people think is enormous. 

The gap has arisen partly because it is the AI ​​vendors who have driven the development without involving the public. Someone described AI as a technology that is introduced without consent, which is quite accurate. AI is suddenly invading everywhere, at work, in leisure, in culture, and in relationships, and it is all mostly completely unsolicited. People are starting to get quite tired and fed up with AI, rightly so.

But above all, the gap has arisen because AI vendors and AI enthusiasts don’t seem to have really understood where their rhetoric is coming from. After all, it’s the AI ​​people themselves who are constantly telling us how dangerous the technology is, how it will take all jobs, and how hopeless you are if you don’t keep up. At the same time, the technology is being touted as fantastic. It’s no wonder people are confused. And scared.

Because what are the upsides that are highlighted? Absolutely, people like their ChatGPT and fixing their photos with AI, but otherwise most of the gratitude and enthusiasm should come from becoming more efficient and productive at work. And here I think the AI ​​advocates, and the business leaders, don’t really have their finger on the pulse.

I could be wrong, but in my world, most people are not driven by being more efficient at work, at any cost. The primary driver is not the company’s bottom line, but rather being able to use their hard-earned knowledge and professional skills in a way that is both appreciated and that gives personal pride and satisfaction. 

Of course, if the increased productivity is also reflected in the salary envelope, it could be an important driver, but so far it does not look like that is the case. Instead, I suspect that the general feeling is that the use of AI is rather the first step towards the complete elimination of one’s job and professional skills.

Much of this is just fear, as AI’s impact on the job market has so far been marginal from a macro perspective. But as reports of job cuts increase and entry-level jobs become scarcer, concerns are growing, especially among the younger generation.

I also notice a clear difference between generations. A lot of those who are most enthusiastic about technology, especially on LinkedIn, are in my generation (X) and older. While the younger people in the comments sections on TikTok are much more negative.

Of course, this is partly because LinkedIn is “peppy” in nature, but on a deeper level, I think the older generations are actually more enthusiastic because AI is a manifestation of a technological development and future that has been promised for decades. It feels like what we have seen in movies and read in books is now, finally, becoming reality. The future is here!

For the younger generations, the effect is the opposite. Young people today have lived through crisis after crisis throughout their entire upbringing, from financial crisis to pandemic to current global chaos, and are not doing very well. 

When Swedes were asked about their well-being just before AI became widespread, older people were among the happiest in the world, while younger Swedes reported lower life satisfaction, less meaning in life, and worse financial security than older age groups. But the younger people also said they had high expectations and great optimism for the future. 

Then Sam Altman came along and said that the bright future was not theirs anymore.

The debate has begun to call it “AI has a marketing problem,” and that is true to the extent that it is clear that the rhetoric surrounding the technology worries more than it excites. Much of this lies with AI vendors, but also with politicians, business leaders, managers, and AI enthusiasts whose inability to be concrete and responsive in their communication creates more uncertainty and insecurity than faith in the future.

I believe that clarity is the only way to turn this around. Clarity in the advantages and disadvantages of technology, clarity in what it can and cannot do, clarity in what we should use it for and what we should not use it for, clarity in desired and unwanted results, and perhaps above all, clarity in what you know and what you don’t know.

Most people seem to agree that AI will be a big part of our future. The only question is what that future looks like and how we make it as bright as possible.