Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves. Everyone’s talking about it, from big corporations to small businesses, stirring up conversations globally. And while there’s plenty of excitement about its possibilities, there’s also a fair share of nerves among those involved, wondering what it all means for the future. With products like Copilot and Chat GBT in regular use among our early adopter clients, we really wanted to understand what our client’s perspectives were on AI. We carried out a survey asking a variety of questions with a focus on the following 3 areas:
- Perspectives – How do people feel about AI? – The survey results showcase a spectrum of opinions regarding AI, ranging from scepticism to optimism. While some view it as a potential danger requiring tight regulation, others see it as a valuable tool with the capacity to enhance various aspects of our lives and business. Interestingly, over 25% were quite concerned, expressing the tendency towards limiting measures and tight controls being important. For the more positive group which made up the remaining cohort of over 70% of respondents – even then there was trepidation and caution. No group felt it was only a positive!
- Potential Impact – How do people feel it will impact the world? – Around 20% of the answers in this section indicated that business owners believed AI was having no impact on their business now, with over 50% saying they weren’t sure. The reality is that AI is everywhere already. We are carrying it around in our pockets. So, this is a worrying answer group overall.
While some anticipate abundant opportunities, others express concerns about accompanying risks, including job displacement and privacy infringements. In line with the Perspectives focus above, overall, this group of answers leaned toward having concerns even if they were positively bent on the topic. The overarching feeling of caution coming from the high level of unknowns.
- Uncertainty and Ambiguity – How much do people really know about it? – This is the real nuts and bolts of the issue when it comes to AI generally. A notable portion of respondents indicated uncertainty about AI’s effects, both presently and in the future across all aspects of the survey. In all question groupings, over 50% of respondents ticked the “not sure” or “don’t know” boxes which is an unusually high number in a simple survey like this. This underscores the need for continued dialogue, research, and proactive measures to navigate the evolving AI landscape responsibly.
- Conclusion – It’s clear that movies like Terminator are well imprinted on our psyche’s! We are cautious about AI generally, with a significant cohort being genuinely concerned. For those of us more positively inclined to embrace the potential of AI – our overall lack of knowledge and understanding, is driving a reserved approach. We simply don’t understand it well enough. As we navigate through the ongoing AI revolution, it’s crucial to adopt a comprehensive approach that recognises both its potential for transformation and the challenges it presents. If you feel you’re ready to explore this world, please engage with BITS to discuss and potentially research how AI/Copilot could be positive for your business. Let us help you – because it is inevitable.
