US public supports stricter AI regulation and accountability for tech companies

A recent poll commissioned by the Artificial Intelligence Policy Institute (AIPI) and conducted by YouGov reveals that the USA public wants to reduce access to AI to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands and believes that tech companies should be held accountable for the harms caused by their AI models. The poll demonstrates strong public support for various policy interventions to prevent potentially harmful outcomes and uncontrolled proliferation of AI.

The survey reveals that 73% of voters believe that AI companies should be held liable for the harm caused by their technology, while only 11% disagree. Additionally, 77% of voters support a law requiring political ads to disclose their use of AI, with 64% strongly supporting it and only 10% opposing such a law. Moreover, the poll shows that 64% of voters support the government creating an organisation to audit AI, while only 14% oppose it.

When it comes to addressing threats posed by AI, voters prefer focusing on powerful unknown threats (46%) over weaker known near-term threats (22%), with a more than 2:1 margin. The poll also indicates that 65% of voters prioritise keeping AI out of the hands of bad actors, while 22% prioritise providing AI benefits to everyone. Furthermore, 73% of voters want to restrict Chinese companies’ access to cloud compute from USA companies, while only 9% believe that such access should be allowed.

Ultimately, the survey results indicate a strong public desire for stricter AI regulation, accountability for tech companies, transparency in AI use in political advertisements, proactive measures to mitigate potential risks, and restrictions on Chinese companies’ access to AI technology. These findings underscore the importance of policymakers considering the perspectives of their constituents and actively engaging in AI policy to ensure the responsible and beneficial development of AI technology.

Source: AI Policy Institute