2023 Generative AI Survey questions

This is a friendly version of the survey question without programming notes.

Sep 25, 2023

Survey introduction

The following questions are about Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Generative AI is a new kind of technology. It can produce things like text, computer code, images, music, voices, and videos. It does this by getting some guidance from humans. For example, you might have heard of AI systems like ChatGPT. It can chat like a human. Another tool, called Midjourney, can make images based on text descriptions entered by a person.

These Generative AI tools learn from a lot of data. This data could be books, articles, pictures, or songs. From this data, the AI learns patterns. After learning, they can create new content. This content is similar to the data they learned from. For example, if the AI learned from many books, it could write a story. If it learned from images, it can create new images. The same goes for music, computer code, and simple videos.

These questions aren’t about all AI. They don’t cover things like self-driving cars or facial recognition. They’re only about new Generative AI that can create human-like content. Keep that in mind when you answer the questions.

Question 1

Think about the past three months. In an average month, how often have you used language-based AI systems? These are systems that can chat like a human and perform other tasks such as writing computer code. Examples include ChatGPT by OpenAI, Bard from Google, and Bing Chat from Microsoft.

Every day
Several times a week
Once a week
1-3 times a month
I have tried them but did not continue using them.
I'm aware of them, but I have not used them.
I've never heard of them.

Question 2

Think about the past three months. In an average month, how often have you used AI tools that make images from a text description entered by a human? Examples include Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, and DALL-E 2 by OpenAI.

Every day
Several times a week
Once a week
1-3 times a month
I have tried them but did not continue using them.
I'm aware of them, but I have not used them.
I've never heard of them.

Question 3

As new Generative AI technologies are becoming more common in our everyday lives, how does this make you feel?

More excited than concerned
More concerned than excited
Equally concerned and excited
I don’t know

Question 4 (if excited)

What is the main reason that you are more excited than concerned about the increased use of Generative AI in daily life?

It could improve my productivity at my job (for example, writing emails, creating presentations, doing research).
It could enhance my personal creativity (for example, in music, writing, or visual arts).
It could provide unique entertainment content (for example, stories, music, visual art).
It could increase accessibility of digital tools for people with disabilities.
It could serve as a valuable educational tool, assisting in learning new subjects or concepts.
It could save me time by automating mundane tasks.
Other (please specify)

Question 4 (if concerned)

What is the main reason that you are more concerned than excited about the increased use of Generative AI in daily life?

Job losses due to AI.
Infringements on digital privacy, increased risk of surveillance or hacking.
Reduced human interaction or loss of uniquely human aspects in art, music, and writing.
AI becoming too powerful and becoming a potential risk to humanity.
The irresponsible use of AI leading to unintended harm.
AI being misused to cause intentional harm.
The potential for bias within AI systems.
The energy and resource consumption of AI systems and their potential impact on the environment.
The spread of misinformation or false content created by AI.
The lack of adequate oversight and regulation of AI.
Other (please specify)

Question 5

[Question 5 was presented in grid format with the following response options: “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Neither agree nor disagree,” “Disagree,” “Strongly Disagree,” “I don’t know.”]

The following are some ideas to make AI systems more open and responsible. Each idea has benefits, but there could also be downsides, or "tradeoffs". We've included potential benefits and tradeoffs for context, but there might be more that we haven’t mentioned.

Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each idea. Keep in mind, your opinion is only about the idea itself. The benefit and tradeoff might help guide your opinion.

Question 5a.

Idea: AI systems should clearly explain how they make decisions.

Benefit: Clear AI explanations could help users make smarter choices.

Tradeoff: This could make AI systems harder to build so they might cost more to use.

Question 5b.

Idea: Companies should tell us how their AI models work and what data they use.

Benefit: This approach could foster trust and allow users to pick the AI systems they feel comfortable using.

Tradeoff: This could give away AI company secrets and let AI creators in other countries get ahead. In addition, knowing they have to disclose details might make companies less eager to innovate.

Question 5c.

Idea: AI companies should tell users when they're talking to an AI, not a person.

Benefit: Knowing they're talking to an AI could help users set clear expectations about the interaction.

Tradeoff: This could break the feel of a real chat and make AI systems less enjoyable or easy to use.

Question 5d.

Idea: Content created by AI should have a clear label saying it's AI-generated. AI-generated content includes images, videos, stories, and music.

Benefit: This could enable users to understand content origins and make informed decisions.

Tradeoff: People might engage with content less if they know it's made by AI even if the content is useful or entertaining. That's because it could seem less genuine or appealing.

Question 6

[Question 6 was presented in grid format with the following response options: “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Neither agree nor disagree,” “Disagree,” “Strongly Disagree,” “I don’t know.”]

The following are some ideas for potential changes to how Generative AI systems and companies operate. Each idea has benefits, but there could also be downsides, or "tradeoffs". We've included potential benefits and tradeoffs for context, but there might be more that we haven’t mentioned.

Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each idea. Keep in mind, your opinion is only about the idea itself. The benefit and tradeoff might help guide your opinion.

Question 6a.

Idea: AI systems should undergo thorough checks for bias and fairness before their launch.

Benefit: If AI is fair, it could mean everyone gets an equal shot, especially when big decisions are made.

Tradeoff: This could delay the release of the AI system or make the system less creative.

Question 6b.

Idea: AI systems should be designed to prioritize user privacy and data security.

Benefit: This could help keep personal data out of the wrong hands.

Tradeoff: This might make the AI less useful or harder to use.

Question 6c.

Idea: Companies creating AI systems should contribute to a support fund for workers who lose their jobs because of AI.

Benefit: This could help provide a financial safety net for people who lose their jobs. It might also reduce stress as they transition to new job roles.

Tradeoff: This could result in higher prices to use these AI systems. It might also mean fewer AI systems or companies are created.

Question 6d.

Idea: Artists, authors, and musicians should be paid if AI systems use their works to learn. Or they should have the choice to opt-out.

Benefit: Creators could get recognized and financially rewarded for their work.

Tradeoff: This could limit the diversity of AI training data, affecting the quality of AI content. It might also increase the cost of using AI systems.

Question 6e.

Idea: AI tools generating content should have built-in safeguards to avoid creating harmful or offensive content.

Benefit: This could result in content that is more respectful and less likely to cause emotional harm.

Tradeoff: This could mean that companies define what is considered “harmful” or “offensive”. This might lead to censorship issues.

Question 7

[Question 7 was presented in grid format with the following response options: “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Neither agree nor disagree,” “Disagree,” “Strongly Disagree,” “I don’t know.”]

The following are some ideas for how governments might handle Generative AI. Each idea has benefits, but there could also be downsides, or "tradeoffs". We've included potential benefits and tradeoffs for context, but there might be more that we haven’t mentioned.

Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each idea. Keep in mind, your opinion is only about the idea itself. The benefit and tradeoff might help guide your opinion.

Question 7a.

Idea: Regulations should stop a few technology companies from controlling the entire AI market.

Benefit: This could boost competition. It could allow for more diverse AI solutions. It could also prevent one company from getting too powerful.

Tradeoff: This could slow down the pace of AI development and innovation.

Question 7b.

Idea: Some countries might misuse AI technology to harm their citizens or threaten democratic values. If they do, these countries should face global penalties, such as sanctions.

Benefit: This could deter nations from abusing AI technology. It might encourage them to follow global democratic principles.

Tradeoff: This could reduce teamwork among nations. Prices could rise from less global trade. It could also spark diplomatic tensions.

Question 7c.

Idea: The government shouldn't let AI assist in running crucial systems. These include power grids, transit, telephone lines, or the internet.

Benefit: By excluding AI, we might reduce risks linked to AI errors or cyber attacks in these systems.

Tradeoff: Lack of AI in these systems might reduce automation and increase user costs. For example, your power bill could be higher than if AI were used.

Question 7d.

Idea: The government should fund AI education to prepare the workforce.

Benefit: This could reduce unemployment and boost the economy.

Tradeoff: This could result in higher taxes. It could also require cuts to other government programs.

Question 8

Think about the U.S. keeping its global lead in Generative AI. Benefits could include better living standards, strong economic growth, and improved national security. However, there might also be downsides like job losses, AI-driven cyberattacks, and misinformation created by AI. Given these benefits and downsides, where do you stand?

Strongly favor keeping our lead
Somewhat favor keeping our lead
Neutral
Somewhat favor being cautious
Strongly favor being cautious
I don't know

Question 9

Think about the next three years. Which job area do you believe will benefit the most from Generative AI? For each job area we've given some example jobs, but there might be other jobs in the job area.

Creative jobs (Artists, Writers, Designers)
Media jobs (Game designers, Game programmers, 3D artists)
Performing arts jobs (Movie and TV actors)
Finance jobs (Accountants, Stock analysts, Traders)
Tech jobs (Programmers, Data analysts, Engineers, IT)
Teaching jobs (Teachers, Course creators)
Legal jobs (Lawyers, Legal assistants)
Health jobs (Doctors, Nurses)
Sales and Marketing jobs (Sales representatives, Brand managers, Digital marketers)
Other (please specify)
I don’t know

Question 10

Think about the next three years. Which job area do you believe will be most hurt by Generative AI? For each job area we've given some example jobs, but there might be other jobs in the job area.

Creative jobs (Artists, Writers, Designers)
Media jobs (Game designers, Game programmers, 3D artists)
Performing arts jobs (Movie and TV actors)
Finance jobs (Accountants, Stock analysts, Traders)
Tech jobs (Programmers, Data analysts, Engineers, IT)
Teaching jobs (Teachers, Course creators)
Legal jobs (Lawyers, Legal assistants)
Health jobs (Doctors, Nurses)
Sales and Marketing jobs (Sales representatives, Brand managers, Digital marketers)
Other (please specify)
I don’t know

Question 11

Think about the next three years. Do you feel ready to use Generative AI tools in your job over that period? Think about tasks like using AI for data analysis, computer programming, writing help, or creative projects.

Very ready
Somewhat ready
Not very ready
Not ready at all
I won't use AI in my job
I don’t know