The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology could endanger the future of humanity, according to a majority of Americans who took part in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released today.

More than two-thirds of Americans worry about the negative effects of AI, and 61% believe it could threaten civilization.

Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT became the fastest-growing app of all time, the widespread integration of AI into everyday life has catapulted AI into the spotlight of public discourse.

ChatGPT (ChatGPT: the artificial intelligence application that enables dialogue and responses) has started an AI race with big names in technology such as Microsoft and Google pledging to surpass each other’s achievements in the field of artificial intelligence.

Lawmakers and companies active in artificial intelligence are also interested: OpenAI CEO Tom Altman testified before the US Congress yesterday expressing his concerns about the potential for misuse of this technology and calling for regulatory rules.

“There’s no way to put this genie in the bottle. There’s a global explosion going on,” said Sen. Cory Booker, one of several lawmakers who asked questions about the best ways to regulate AI at yesterday’s hearing. debate in the Senate regarding the use of this technology.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that three times as many Americans predict negative effects from artificial intelligence as Americans who believe the opposite.

According to the data, 61% of respondents believe that AI poses a threat to humanity, while only 22% disagree and 17% remain unsure.

Those who had voted for Donald Trump in 2020 expressed more concern. 70% of Trump voters compared to 60% of Joe Biden voters agree that AI can threaten humanity.

When it comes to religious beliefs, evangelical Christians mostly agree that AI is a danger to humanity with 32% compared to 24% of non-evangelical Christians.

While Americans worry about artificial intelligence, crime and the economy rank higher on the list of concerns about everyday issues: 77% support increasing police funding to fight crime, and 82% worry about recession risk.

Industry representatives say that citizens should better understand the benefits of AI.

“The concerns are very valid, but I think what’s missing in the dialogue is why are we doing all this? AI will increase people’s quality of life and help them become more efficient and competent,” says Sebastian Thran, a professor in computer science at Stanford University, who founded Google X.

“Americans probably don’t realize how much artificial intelligence has already infiltrated their daily lives both at home and at work,” he says.