Majority of young adults say they are ‘more concerned than excited’ about AI: Pew Research

A majority of young adults are now more worried than enthusiastic about the growing role artificial intelligence (AI) has in their daily lives, according to a Pew Research survey released Tuesday.

Among adults ages 18 to 29, 55% said they were more concerned than excited about AI, while just 11% said they felt the reverse.

That marks a sharp shift from 2021, when Pew began tracking Americans’ views on the then-emerging technology. At the time, only 31% of young adults expressed greater concern than excitement.

This general feeling is now shared by all age groups, with 52% of U.S. adults saying they are more concerned than excited about AI.

The broad AI skepticism largely centers on how it will affect employment, according to Pew’s latest poll, which included 3,488 U.S. adults and was conducted from June 22 to June 28.

The vast majority of Americans, 71%, believe AI will lead to fewer jobs in the U.S. over the next two decades.

Just 5% said AI would lead to more jobs over that time period.

Young adults also expressed their belief that AI will stifle creativity and human connection over the long term.

“They largely think it will make connection and creativity harder to come by. And though most say they use chatbots, they’re just as likely to say these tools hurt their own creativity as help it,” the survey’s authors wrote.

There is also a growing concern that overuse of AI chatbots among children and teenagers can negatively impact their development, with some cases leading to far more serious outcomes.

Last August, the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT helped their son plan and carry out his suicide.

The case, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, is ongoing and is among the first lawsuits to allege that an AI chatbot contributed to a user’s death.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

In the wake of growing scrutiny over the effects of AI chatbots on children, OpenAI and other AI firms have rolled out stronger safeguards, including parental controls, age-verification systems and tools designed to detect signs of self-harm.

OpenAI announced Tuesday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that it is creating “ChatGPT for Teens,” a separate portal that will serve as the default experience on the AI chatbot for users between 13 and 17.

OpenAI said that most teen users of ChatGPT use it for homework and help with their studies, so the new platform is intended to allow for study aides without giving the answers away and was designed with Stanford University.

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It will feature quizzes and responsible-homework reminders that redirect teens toward collaborative problem-solving, as well as a “Study Hours” feature that allows teens or parents to set “Study Mode” as a default during certain time periods.

The new platform also includes stronger default safeguards addressing self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities and explicit sexual or graphic content through age-appropriate interventions.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.