A recent opinion poll in the swing states of the United States has revealed that a majority of voters support banning TikTok, while also expressing concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) potentially undermining privacy. However, they remain optimistic about its potential impact on health and education.
According to a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday, a recent survey conducted jointly by Bloomberg News and the U.S. business intelligence company Morning Consult showed that many swing state voters in the U.S. fear that the increasing presence of AI may one day erode privacy and harm job prospects. At the same time, it was found that most people support government measures to ban TikTok.
The survey found that over half of respondents in seven swing states expect AI to have a negative impact on privacy, with nearly half foreseeing negative effects on employment. Meanwhile, 45% believe AI has a positive impact on health, and 41% believe it has a positive impact on education.
Half of the voters surveyed expressed support for President Biden’s recent signing of a new law to separate TikTok from Chinese companies. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they are concerned that TikTok could be used by foreign adversaries to collect data and manipulate information in the U.S.
The survey results provide insight into how Americans view hot-button technology challenges, including the rapid rise of AI, the concentration of the market in the hands of a few big companies, and security concerns stemming from TikTok’s Chinese ownership.
The poll targeted 4,962 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, with a margin of error of 1 percentage point.
Matt Monday, a senior manager at Morning Consult, noted that privacy is a common concern among the surveyed voters and has been a core discussion topic for major tech companies over the past decade. “They are most concerned about privacy. This is not just about AI,” he said. “Geopolitics surrounding TikTok, data collection, and privacy is a truly worrying issue.”
Technological advancements in AI have raised worries among people. There are concerns that it may expose consumer personal data and lead to widespread disruptions in the workforce. Policymakers in Washington are working on regulations to minimize the potential risks of AI, particularly in terms of disseminating false information, while still stimulating innovation.
Regarding AI, more than one-fourth of registered voters in swing states believe AI has had a negative impact on national security, with a similar proportion perceiving negative effects on U.S. elections. When asked another question not related to AI, 60% of voters indicated they believe there will be misinformation in the November U.S. election.
Monday stated that the survey results on AI are divided by generation, with Generation Z (those born after 2000) voters being more optimistic than Baby Boomer voters aged over 60. “The biggest positive is in health, education, and entertainment,” he said. “Most people believe its positive impact will outweigh the negative.”
However, in the entertainment industry, AI is seen as a risk. The Hollywood actors and writers guild held a four-month strike last year in part over fears that this technology could make them irrelevant.
65% of respondents think it is equally important to regulate tech companies when deciding who to vote for in elections. Respondents expressed higher trust in Republican candidate Trump over Biden, with 39% versus 35%, in overseeing the industry as president.
Under Biden’s leadership, federal antitrust enforcers have sued Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta, accusing them of anticompetitive behavior that harms consumer interests and weakens competitors.
The survey shows that over half of respondents would support breaking up at least one of these four companies.
Last month, Biden signed a law requiring TikTok to detach from its Chinese parent company, or face a ban in the U.S. TikTok subsequently filed a lawsuit, claiming the law violates the First Amendment right to free speech and seeking to block its enforcement.
While a majority of people in the survey support detaching or banning TikTok, 58% of interviewed TikTok regular users oppose it. Meanwhile, 51% of general users of the app express concerns about foreign data collection.
About 62% of respondents said they are worried about TikTok’s impact on mental health, with 71% expressing concerns about its impact on young people.
Monday remarked, “Given the demographic breakdown of supporters and opponents, it makes sense that supporters of the ban tend to lean towards Trump.” Supporters of the ban are often Republicans, older in age, and less likely to use TikTok.