The accelerated spread of artificial intelligence, in various aspects of life, has raised questions about which categories are most willing to integrate this technology into their daily lives. Many assume that tech-savvy people who understand the workings of artificial intelligence are the most enthusiastic about adopting it, but a new study has revealed an unexpected surprise.
The level of knowledge and adoption of artificial intelligence:
A new study published in the Journal of Marketing shows that people who have less knowledge of artificial intelligence are actually more open and receptive to using it in their daily lives, and researchers call this inverse relationship between the level of knowledge and the propensity to adopt a term called (link of low knowledge and high level of receptivity).
This relationship has been confirmed by various studies involving different groups, environments, and contexts, and even across multiple countries, suggesting that this phenomenon is not limited to a specific category or geographical area.
For example, an analysis conducted by market research firm Ipsos, covering 27 countries, showed that people living in countries with lower average knowledge of artificial intelligence seem more willing to adopt this technology compared to those living in countries with a higher level of knowledge, indicating that there is a cultural and social impact in the acceptance and use of artificial intelligence.
A survey of undergraduates in the United States also revealed that students who had less understanding of the workings of artificial intelligence were more likely to use it for tasks such as homework. This example shows how the level of knowledge can influence the use of artificial intelligence even in educational contexts.
But what is the reason for this phenomenon?
Researchers attribute the reason for the existence of the phenomenon (the link of low knowledge and a high level of receptivity) to the way artificial intelligence performs tasks that were previously considered the preserve of humans.when artificial intelligence is able to produce an elaborate work of art, write expressive responses similar to human responses, or play a piece of music perfectly, it can evoke a feeling of surprise and admiration in the user, as if artificial intelligence has exceeded the limits of its natural capabilities and entered the scope of human creativity, and this feeling is described as more like magic.
However, it is important to emphasize that artificial intelligence does not actually possess any real human qualities, for example, when a chatbot produces a response that shows empathy, it does so based on complex algorithms and language patterns that it learns from training data, but it does not feel real empathy, and people who possess high technical knowledge of artificial intelligence are clearly aware of this fact; because they are familiar with how algorithms, training data, and computational models work, and this knowledge removes the mystery surrounding artificial intelligence and makes it less charming to them.
Whereas people who have less understanding of the mechanisms of AI's work see it as a mysterious and surprising force, and the researchers point out that it is this sense of (magic) that drives them to be more open to using and experimenting with AI tools.
But does understanding the nature of artificial intelligence affect the acceptance of its use in various fields
Studies have shown that the presence of a phenomenon (the link of low knowledge and a high level of receptivity) is stronger specifically in areas that people associate with human qualities, such as: providing emotional support or counseling, in these cases, artificial intelligence is perceived as a (magical) alternative to humans, which encourages its use.
When it comes to tasks that do not evoke the same sensation of human-like qualities, such as: analyzing test results or data processing, this pattern is reversed.in these cases, people with high knowledge of artificial intelligence are more receptive to its use; because their focus is on the efficiency of artificial intelligence and its ability to accomplish tasks effectively and accurately, away from any magical or emotional considerations, they evaluate artificial intelligence as an effective tool, and not as an independent entity competing with human capabilities.
Why do we accept artificial intelligence with skepticism about its ability?
The study also revealed an interesting aspect, which is the persistence of a phenomenon (the link of low knowledge and a high level of receptivity) even when people with little knowledge of artificial intelligence look at it doubly, seeing it at the same time less capable and perhaps less moral and a source of fear, however; their openness to artificial intelligence seems to stem mainly from a sense of surprise and admiration for its capabilities, that is, from the (charm) of what it can achieve.
This discovery provides new insights into how people respond to emerging technologies in general, as some previous studies indicate that there are two opposing phenomena in the response of consumers to new technology, namely:
Algorithm approximation phenomenon: it is the tendency of consumers to prefer a new technology and evaluate it positively.
Algorithm Aversion phenomenon: it is the tendency of consumers to doubt and avoid new technology.
This study adds a new dimension to these discussions, as it indicates that perceptions known as the magic of artificial intelligence play a crucial role in shaping these reactions and significantly affect the extent to which people accept this technology.
Challenges for policymakers:
These results pose a complex challenge for policy makers and educators, who seek to enhance the public's understanding of artificial intelligence, likely, efforts to increase knowledge of artificial intelligence, explaining how it works in detail will reduce the sense of (magic), which inspires many to adopt it, and therefore; these efforts may inadvertently discourage the public's enthusiasm for using it.
Therefore, there must be a delicate and difficult balance between two important goals, namely: helping people better understand artificial intelligence, to enable them to use it consciously and responsibly, and maintaining their openness to adopt artificial intelligence, an important goal to take advantage of the huge potential of this technology in various fields. To make the most of the potential of artificial intelligence, companies, educators and policymakers need to work on achieving this difficult balance, by understanding how perceptions (magic) affect people's appetite for artificial intelligence, and then by understanding this dynamic, new AI products and services can be developed and deployed, taking into account the way people perceive artificial intelligence, and helping them understand its benefits and risks in an integrated and realistic manner. It is important that this happens without causing a loss of the sense of surprise and admiration that inspires many to adopt this new technology, but rather this inspiration should be directed towards a deeper understanding and a more realistic appreciation of the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence.