European Tech Insights recently conducted a study in which they found that the majority of Europeans support the use of artificial intelligence in police and military operations. Over 3,000 people were surveyed, and 75% of them expressed support for AI technologies like facial recognition and biometric data being used for surveillance by law enforcement and the military.
It is interesting to note that this level of support comes from a region with some of the strictest data privacy regulations in the world. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), implemented in 2018, imposes heavy fines on organizations that violate data protection rules. Companies can face fines of up to 4% of their annual global revenues or 20 million euros for breaching GDPR laws.
Dean of the IE University’s School of Science and Technology, Ikhlaq Sidhu, mentioned that it is unclear whether the public has fully considered the implications of using AI in these applications.
Despite the support for AI in public service tasks like traffic optimization, the majority of Europeans (64%) oppose using AI for sensitive matters such as parole decisions.
AI manipulation of elections
Concerns arise when it comes to the role of AI in the democratic process. The report revealed that 67% of Europeans fear AI manipulation in elections. There is a worry that AI can be used to amplify misinformation, with deepfakes being a particular cause for concern. Deepfakes are synthetic media created using AI that can be used to misrepresent politicians’ views or spread false information.
Generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s Dall-E and Stability AI’s Midjourney can quickly generate images based on text prompts, raising concerns about the spread of misinformation. The trend of misinformation and loss of verifiability has been growing with the rise of the Internet, social media, and AI-driven search algorithms.
The report also indicated that 31% of Europeans believe that AI has already influenced their voting decisions. This comes as the 2024 U.S. election approaches, with current Vice President Kamala Harris facing off against former President Donald Trump in the upcoming vote.
Generational divide
The study by IE University found a generational gap in attitudes towards AI in Europe. A significant portion (34%) of individuals aged 18-34 would trust an AI-powered app to vote for politicians on their behalf. This trust decreases to 29% for those aged 35-44, and only 9% for individuals aged 65 and over.