Job security and ethical concerns continue to cast a shadow over artificial intelligence, but fears drop significantly once people actually use the technology, according to technological research and consulting firm Gartner VP analyst Svetlana Sicular.
Speaking at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in Sydney on Tuesday, Sicular addressed the ongoing “AI anxiety,” noting that more than half of people are worried about its impact on jobs.
“Once people are actually exposed to AI and asked to make use of it, their concern about job loss drops significantly—from around 60% to just 14%,” Sicular said. “The problem boils down to a lack of exposure and understanding.”
Media portrayals and misconceptions fuel much of this fear, Sicular noted.
“Most people still don't understand what AI entails. They see it as a science fiction concept or through the lens of sensationalist media stories,” she said. “The truth is that AI is complex, and its ethical and technical nuances are not widely understood.”
Rather than regulation, Sicular believes the key to reducing these concerns is greater exposure to AI.
She cited an early example from Germany’s Bundesliga football league. Initially, players resisted using wearable devices for data capture and AI-supported performance monitoring. “Ultimately, they found it useful, but it wasn't an immediate thing,” Sicular said.
Adjusting expectations about what AI can deliver is also a critical component to easing those concerns.
“Understanding that AI is non-deterministic is going to be critical in helping to set expectations and address concerns,” Sicular said. “For example, people need to understand that achieving 100% accuracy with AI is not realistic.
At present, there is some reluctance to trust AI due to its potential for errors. Instead, the public should view it as a tool for enhancing efficiency rather than striving for perfection, she added.
As people use AI and understand its limitations, they begin to see it as a collaborative tool rather than a job replacement, the Gartner executive said.
While older generations may struggle with this shift, Sicular compared it to the adoption of computers and the Internet.
“A new generation is emerging with a ‘good enough’ mentality, viewing the world probabilistically rather than seeking perfect answers. This shift might be uncomfortable for some - older people have grown up learning mantras like ‘close enough isn’t good enough.’
Still, the shift is part of the broader evolution in our approach to technology,” Sicular said. “AI anxiety will fade not because AI’s impact is less, but because people will become comfortable with this new technological interaction.”