Australia’s distrust of AI could be costly

New data shows Australians have the lowest level of trust in artificial intelligence (AI). How can we capitalise on the technology when scepticism abounds?

Late to the game

Over the past six years, more than 60 countries have published a national AI strategy, including Australia. That said, a gap is growing between those nations that are adopting in a more comprehensive, sophisticated way and those that are not.

“Australia needs to act urgently or risk missing out on opportunities and talent,” said Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub chief executive Cori Stewart.

Australian businesses are lagging way behind those in the fastest-adopting countries, according to new research from BSI Australia. In China, 70 per cent of surveyed employees use AI every day at work. In India, the proportion is only slightly lower at 64 per cent. Compare this with Australia’s 23 per cent and the disparity in approaches comes into view.

An Australia that fails to take advantage of emergent AI technologies is “an Australia that looks like a low-skilled economy”, according to Ms Stewart.

“We won’t have the depth of industry. We’ll be locked out of global supply chains because we won’t be digital or smart enough.

“We won’t have traceability. We won’t have the efficiencies. So, we won’t be able to compete for industry or all the skills in the marketplace,” said Ms Stewart.

While Australia’s adoption has been slow when compared with the fastest-adopting nations, the disparity shrinks when compared with certain European nations. For instance, only 29 per cent of UK workers use AI every day at work, as well as 26 per cent in France, 30 per cent in the Netherlands, and 33 per cent in Germany, said BSI.

“Regarding AI, we are in the early-adopter stage, and, in my opinion, at the relatively early stage of it,” wrote Eli Amdur in Forbes.

“Therefore, given the inevitability of AI and the certainty that it will not only change the world, but change it in more dramatic ways than any other innovation in history, it would be a good idea to get with it as soon as possible.”

Accounting for the gap

Research from BSI suggests that, although they can see the benefits of AI, Australians have a trust issue when it comes to the technology. In fact, according to BSI’s managing director, Charlene Loo, Australians have the “lowest trust levels in AI globally”.

For instance, a majority (62 per cent) of Australians feel vulnerable consumers need to be protected against threats posed by AI, while 73 per cent think patients should be made aware of AI used in diagnosis or treatment. Further:

• Only 41 per cent of Australians are excited about AI’s ability to improve medical diagnosis, compared with 52 per cent globally.
• Only 44 per cent of Australians want AI to be applied to eliminating food waste, compared with 49 per cent globally.
• Only 49 per cent of Australians believe AI can help create a more energy-efficient built environment, compared with 52 per cent globally.

Research conducted in 2020 by the University of Queensland (UQ) researchers found that only one in three Australians is willing to trust AI, and 45 per cent are unwilling to share their data with an AI system.

According to UQ Professor Nicole Gillespie, Australians are worried about the threats posed by AI: “The risk of codifying and reinforcing unfair biases, infringing on human rights such as privacy, spreading fake online content, technological unemployment, and the dangers stemming from mass surveillance technologies, critical AI failures and autonomous weapons.”

While the challenges are real, so too are the opportunities.

Better education and stronger regulation

Faster and more comprehensive uptake will require better awareness and stricter regulation, according to UQ and BSI.

“Insights from our research suggest strengthening the regulatory framework for governing AI and enhancing Australia’s AI literacy can enhance public trust in AI and support the realisation of its societal and economy benefits,” said Dr Steve Lockey, postdoctoral research fellow at UQ.

Similarly, BSI’s research suggests that Australia’s adoption of AI is being held back by an apparent fear of the unknown. Even where AI is already commonplace, many are unaware of its operation. For instance, only 20 per cent of Australians recognise that certain commonplace technologies, such as facial recognition at banks, use AI.

And while understanding of AI is low, most Australians (86 per cent) want to know more about it. “There is clear opportunity to harness AI to drive societal progress in Australia,” said Ms Loo.

“Closing the AI confidence gap with education to build understanding can help more Australians realise its benefits.”

While the best way to boost public awareness around AI is up for debate, there’s no shortage of international examples to borrow from. For example, Finland has been running a government-backed AI literacy course that aims to educate over 5 million EU citizens.

Additionally, better and more transparent regulation will likely play a role in building confidence with the technology. A big part of building confidence will likely come down to regulation.

Almost 96 per cent of surveyed Australians expect AI to be regulated, but most believe our current regulations are insufficient, while a further 64 per cent of Australians want international guidelines to enable the safe use of AI.