TITLE:
Trusting Artificial Intelligence: A Qualitative Exploration of Public Perception and Acceptance of the Risks and Benefits
AUTHORS:
Omonzokpia George Okoidigun, Eyere Emagbetere
KEYWORDS:
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Public Perception, AI Trust, AI Risks and Benefits, AI Ethics, AI Governance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
11,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper aims to research the perceptions of the populace on the dangers and advantages of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the effects of those perceptions on the trust and acceptance of AI. A population of ninety participants from San Francisco, California were interviewed and their responses were analysed qualitatively, resulting in an intriguing mix of both positive and negative perceptions. While new opportunities are seen to be helpful especially in making life more convenient and helping solve world’s problems on one hand, AI is seen to have some negative consequences. About 60% are concerned about the likelihood of AI to replace people in their jobs, 47% are concerned with its potential to be biased, and 52% are concerned with its likelihood to invade people’s privacy. Concerning the specific qualities, the trust was identified as an important measure. 58% of the participants questioned the openness of AI’s actions and their objectives. In addition, 62% participants showed a high interest in better governance and disclosure in AI development and use. This work provides insights into the fact that there is a need to increase public trust in AI through establishing higher levels of transparency, ethical standards accompanied by regulation. All these insights necessitate extending the discussions on AI’s governance and emphasizing that we must achieve innovation in this sphere, while taking into consideration certain key values.