Artificial Intelligence (AI) has reached the point where it is now considered an esteemed member of society according to results from a new Kaspersky survey. The study found that AI applications are increasingly taking on a variety of new roles previously earmarked for senior members of staff, and over a quarter of respondents (27%) in the UK now believe the technology would be a fairer leader than humans due to its “impartiality”.
According to data aggregation service, Similarweb, ChatGPT garnered 153 million visits in the first month after its launch in November 2022, and peaked at 2 billion visits in April 2024. Considering the rapid advancements in AI, Kaspersky conducted an in-depth study to explore current levels of confidence in AI. The study, entitled ‘Excitement, Superstition and great Insecurity – How global Consumers engage with the Digital World’ examines the role of AI from management positions in the workplace to assisting with significant life decisions.
According to the study, respondents consider AI to be a “valued work colleague and manager”, with nearly half (49%) of all UK respondents stating that they are already working with AI to run their daily lives, both professional and social, more efficiently. A further 34% have a positive outlook on AI’s potential to improve the future for everyone.
The role of AI extends to our social and romantic lives, with 44% of UK respondents stating that they are ready to use an AI chatbot to have conversations online and a quarter (25%) would use it to help them to find the right partner on a dating app. Perhaps understandably, exactly half (50%) of respondents in the UK believe that human relationships will change because of the impact of AI if virtual characters start replacing real-life partners.
Most respondents admit that AI has the most wide-ranging capabilities in creative areas with 64% believing the technology can be a credible producer of works of art. A further 43% foresee an imminent future where children are even taught through AI-driven virtual experiences.
“It is clear we are in the midst of an AI adoption revolution. More and more people are turning to and embracing AI technologies for cultural tasks, such as creating art, rather than just for traditional data processing and analysis that has dominated AI usage in recent years. As AI technologies continue to improve and evolve, their potential to unlock innovation and enhance our daily lives is immense. However, greater usage brings greater responsibility. Overreliance on AI can lead to increased security risks and potential problems, it is important to employ stringent cybersecurity solutions and be wary of putting personal, sensitive data through an AI solution model,” states David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky.
To protect users against AI-driven threats, Kaspersky suggests:
- Install a trusted cybersecurity solution that can offer protection against AI-enhanced phishing by detecting malicious pages and preventing interaction with them. Such a solution will assist in identifying and blocking fraudulent emails and websites aiming to steal personal information.
- To counter the risks posed by deepfakes, it is wise to avoid trusting requests for data or money immediately, even if they seem to come from friends, family members or colleagues. Verifying the authenticity of the request through alternative communication methods is a prudent step.
- Utilising an online Privacy checker is essential for adjusting privacy settings to limit exposure to AI-enhanced identity theft. This approach minimises the amount of personal information accessible online, making it more challenging for threat actors to exploit personal data.
The full Kaspersky report ‘Excitement, Superstition and great Insecurity – How global Consumers engage with the Digital World’ is available via this link.
