Americans split on keeping government’s hands off AI: ‘Look what happened with social media’
Americans in California and Texas revealed whether they think it’s important for the government to regulate artificial intelligence.
“Definitely,” Carlos, a Houston resident, told Fox News. “It should be regulated to the fullest extent as drugs or anything else should be.”
But Joe, of San Antonio, disagreed.
“No,” he told Fox News. “I think that the less the government regulates, the better we are in all respects.”
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Nearly 60% of registered voters have little to no confidence the government can properly regulate AI, according to a Fox News Poll released on Monday.
“How the hell do you regulate something we don’t know yet?” Steven, of Los Angeles, asked. “The Internet’s widely unregulated and look what happened with social media.”
Jim, of Los Angeles, expressed little to no confidence in the government’s ability to suitably manage AI.
“I think all these people that make up the rules and laws for us are way too old and way too out of touch to who we are today,” Jim told Fox News.
Dan, also of Los Angeles, was similarly skeptical.
“Not even the ones that develop it can control it and regulate it,” he told Fox News.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
The Biden administration announced a plan last week to use civil rights laws as a means of protecting Americans against any discrimination that could stem from AI programs used in decisions like hiring, credit and housing, The Washington Post reported.
Gopal, an Austin resident who’s worked with AI, said the technology needs regulations since he believed it could express bias.
“You train the system using the data you have,” he told Fox News. “If the data is … collected in a uneven way, it could tell the computer to make decisions that may be biased.”
“In order to make sure there is no bias in the system … there has to be oversight,” Gopal said, adding that he thinks a combination of governmental and private sector regulations might work.
Waukena, a Los Angeles resident, said she maintained faith that the government could adequately monitor AI.
“I do trust the government,” she told Fox News. “Everybody’s learning.”
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The Fox News Poll was conducted April 21-24, 2023, by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). It surveyed 1,004 registered voters randomly selected nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
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To watch the full interviews, click here.
Jon Michael Raasch reported from Los Angeles and Gabrielle Reyes from Austin.