Did you know AI’s Biggest Users Are the Least Informed Why Lack of Knowledge Fuels Adoption

 

According to a new study published in Journal of Marketing, people who have less knowledge about AI are more likely to use it as compared to tech experts and people with more knowledge of AI. It is linked to lower literacy-higher receptivity and can be seen in different countries, groups and settings. Another study by Ipsos also shows that there is a higher AI acceptance rate in countries with low literacy rates than countries with high literacy rates. A survey of undergraduate students also shows that students who do not have much understanding of AI are more likely to use it for a number of tasks like assignments than students who have good understanding of AI.

The reason is that people who don't understand AI see it as almost human. It can get all their work done and they think that it is something magical and awe inspiring. On the other hand, people who have technical knowledge do not see it as anything above a machine or computational models. AI for people who understand its technicalities isn’t anything mysterious and they just focus on efficiency of AI. On the other hand, people who do not understand AI that much are also seen using it for counseling and emotional support.

Another interesting thing is that even though there is a link between lower literacy and higher receptivity when it comes to AI, people with lower AI literacy are also the ones who think of AI as less ethical, less capable and even scary. They are more open to AI because of their sense of wonder and not because they completely trust it. There is also a phenomenon called algorithm appreciation which suggests that people favor new tech because they are drawn to the magicness of it.

These findings suggest that educators and policymakers should take some steps to address AI illiteracy so people can understand AI and how to use it in a safe manner. There are a lot of risks associated with AI as well and through proper education and training we can educate people on them.