Despite claims by some tech “gurus” that artificial intelligence (AI) now poses a greater threat to humanity than climate change, the general population does not see it that way.
In GlobeScan’s recent global public opinion poll, we found that people are much more worried about the changing climate than they are about the potential dangers of AI: nearly two-thirds of people across 31 countries and territories (64%) say climate change is a very serious global challenge, while only around one-quarter (26%) say the same about AI.
Although the data show that climate change and AI are deeply concerning to many people across the world, there is little to gain by pitting one against the other. While it is important to better understand the potential dangers of AI, it is essential to explore how AI can help prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change and improve the resilience of societies to climate hazards.
Data in the chart include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UK, USA, and Vietnam.
Source: GlobeScan Radar Trends Report (survey of 29,565 people in the general public in July ‒ August 2023)
