The AI ​​generates “uncertainty” in the Spaniards and half would avoid it in sensitive applications, according to the CIS

There is interest and optimism, but feelings such as uncertainty, concern or even fear surpass them. These are the results of a new barometer of the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) that reveals that Spanish society has skepticism the revolution of artificial intelligence is predominantly, with broad percentages of the population to which its application would bother its application in sensitive aspects and relating its expansion to inequality and negative consequences in the labor market.

One of the most obvious aspects of report It is the relationship of feelings caused by AI. The “uncertainty” is the most cited by respondents (76%), followed by “concern” (69%). A certain distance appears the “interest” (56%) and the “fear” (51%), while only a fourth quotes “optimism.” These results contrast with the sensations produced by technology in general, predominantly identified with the “progress” values.

Asked about concrete effects of AI, the majority agree or quite agreed on issues as if it can “be used to disseminate erroneous information and bulos” (87%); “Facilitate committing crimes or illegal acts” (81%) or “causing greater global inequality” (72.2%). Along these lines, they also obtain wide majorities in favor of the regulation of artificial intelligence, both from technology itself (93%) and its programming and training (92%), as well as forcing companies to inform when they use this technology instead of human beings (93%).

At this time, the AI ​​regulation has already been addressed in the EU, where in 2024 a regulation on its use that is of direct application in the member countries was approved. However, in Spain the Government has presented initiatives to abound in specific legislation on this issue, also creating the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence, which has recently started in A Coruña. Asked about this issue, 56% of respondents recognize that they had not heard about the approval of the European regulation in the matter.

Applications with more benefits than damages

The study also yields a series of positive visions, such as several applications in which Spaniards believe that artificial intelligence will bring more benefits than damages. They are medicine and health (66%), industry (62%) or agriculture (52%). On the other hand, there are areas such as Labor Market (56%) or creation or art (49%) where the majority provides that the effects of the arrival of this technology end up being more harmful than beneficial.

In this sense, the barometer also includes a specific question about aspects in which AI based on its current advances and the degree of comfort or discomfort that it would generate could be implemented. They are “traveling in an autonomous car”, “undergoing a medical operation carried out by a robot” and “speaking with artificial intelligence, for example, an information or customer service service.” In all of them, discomfort would be the predominant feeling.

The most repeated score in the three options is, in fact, the “totally uncomfortable” degree (1 on the scale of 1 to 10, in which 10 is “totally comfortable”), with between 30% and 36% of respondents placing themselves in this range. In general, the most uncomfortable for the Spaniards would be to travel aboard an autonomous car, which obtains an average of 3.9, with talking with an AI and being operated by a robot receiving similar scores (4,3), both below the approved.