AI backlash becomes a real business risk

If AI were a candidate for political office, it would be losing in a landslide. Why it matters: The AI hype cycle would have you believe the technology is inevitable. But AI backlash is growing, as people worry it will steal their jobs, jack up electricity rates and further enrich the wealthy, all while hurting the environment. State of play: A commencement address went viral this week after Florida real estate executive Gloria Caulfield said "artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution," sparking a chorus of boos from the crowd. The speaker could have avoided the jeers had she checked the latest polls: Only 18% of young people ages 14 to 29 say they feel hopeful about AI, according to a recent Gallup survey. The disdain spans generations and political parties. An Economist/YouGov poll released this week showed over 70% of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly, with 68% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats saying it's moving too fast. Other YouGov polling shows negative views of AI rising from 34% three years ago to just over 50% now. Between the lines: AI executives aren't doing much to quell the backlash, which is already showing signs of slowing the industry. Some of them appear unfazed — or unaware. In previous conversations with Axios, AI executives at multiple frontier AI labs were surprised by the negative opinions. They see AI as just as inevitable as the rise of the internet. Asked about backlash to AI, Superhuman Mail CEO Rahul Vohra — whose company makes an AI-powered email assistant — seemed unfamiliar with the premise of the question. After hearing about poor polling around AI, he responded: "We don't really see that." Data: Economist/YouGov ; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios What they're saying: While the tech underlying AI is here to stay, "What is not inevitable is that these technologies will be embedded in every aspect of our lives, become indispensable, or replace humans," Dr. Avriel Epps, assistant pro...

Original source: Axios