Artificial intelligence is seen as a revolution in the world of work. But a survey shows that the majority are skeptical, worried about jobs and, above all, fear growing inequality.
According to a survey, artificial intelligence (AI) is fueling fears about jobs. According to a representative survey by credit insurer Allianz Trade, 47 percent of respondents in Germany expect AI to reduce the number of jobs. Only 35 percent assumed that it would create more jobs. Allianz Trade said it surveyed almost 6,300 people aged 18 and over in six European countries from April 26 to May 13 – 1,020 Germans and French, 1,172 Austrians, 1,021 Italians, 1,032 Poles and 1,006 Spaniards. Looking at all countries, the proportion of people worried about jobs is 46 percent, while the proportion of people who believe there will be additional jobs is 33 percent.
According to the survey, even greater than the fear for jobs is the concern about increasing inequality. 53 percent of Germans surveyed believe that as AI becomes more widespread, the educated and intelligent will become smarter, while the rest will lag behind. Only a quarter of those surveyed were optimistic. The overall average for all six countries was 51 to 21 percent. In general, people in these countries see more risks than opportunities in AI – 36 to 21 percent.
Does AI help combat demographic change?
“The population in many European countries is unsettled by the rapid change and is consequently skeptical,” says Arne Holzhausen, Head of Insurance, Assets and ESG at Allianz Research. Experts expect significant positive economic effects. “The key is not to replace employees with AI tools, but to use AI to complement and expand their skills,” emphasizes Holzhausen. However, this requires massive investments in retraining, further education and preparing employees for new forms of work.
Given the shortage of skilled workers, AI could even be a godsend, says Holzhausen. The development of AI coincides with demographic change, i.e. the ageing of the population and the shrinking of the workforce potential, which could lead to a labor shortage in many sectors. “By increasing productivity and automating routine tasks, AI could (…) help to meet this looming challenge.”
Opinion poll
Source: Stern
