55% of Latin Americans are in favor of regulating artificial intelligence (AI), and the proportion increases to 65% among those who have good knowledge about the tool. This is revealed by a survey published today by Luminate, with data commissioned from the Ipsos Institute. Among people who claim to have a good level of understanding about AI, the percentage who support regulation rises to 72% in Mexico; 67% in Colombia; 64% in Brazil and 56% in Argentina.
The research “DemocracIA: Perceptions of artificial intelligence and democracy in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico” shows that the effect of knowledge about AI is also reflected in a greater perception of risk. While 40% of people in Latin America believe that AI can affect electoral integrity, the proportion increases to 47% among those who have a good understanding of artificial intelligence. In this case, Brazil leads with 52%, followed by Colombia (51%), Mexico (47%) and Argentina (39%).
In Latin America, the most unequal region in the world, 37% of people surveyed agree that AI could worsen disparities in their countries, although the proportion rises to 44% among those who declare they know the tool well. In Brazil, the percentage of people who have a good understanding of AI and who believe it can increase disparities amounts to 52%; in Colombia, 44%; in Mexico, 43% and, in Argentina, 37%.
Of the overall sample, less than a third (28%) believe their countries are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence. Argentina occupies third place, with 28% agreeing that the country has the conditions to deal with AI, behind Mexico (33%) and Brazil (29%), and ahead of Colombia (23%).
“With AI, we have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes we have made with social media platforms, where the consequences of a lack of accountability are felt throughout our region: from the proliferation of disinformation and hate speech to increasing polarization and surveillance,” said Felipe Estefan, Vice President of Luminate for Latin America. He added: “Any regulation of artificial intelligence must protect human rights and ensure that this technology serves the public interest.”
Social inequalities shape perceptions about AI
Research shows that social inequalities also affect the way Latin American citizens relate to AI and perceive its risks. In general, men and people with high income and education are those who express higher levels of knowledge (62%, 69%, 67%, respectively) and comfort with the adoption of AI in their routines (52%, 57%, 55%), respectively. They are also those who most identify threats to elections and in the fight against inequalities.
“This indicates an opportunity to increase awareness and mobilization to ensure that AI is developed and implemented in a way that strengthens the promotion of human rights and social justice,” Estefan said.
Furthermore, the survey captures a rejection in Latin America, particularly in Argentina, of AI applications in public service. In general, citizens prefer human judgment and sensitivity when making decisions with a direct impact on people’s lives. In fact, 54% of people surveyed oppose the use of artificial intelligence for decision-making in courts. In Argentina, this figure rises to 58%, the highest among the countries surveyed.
Thus, 51% of the region’s citizens are against AI drafting new laws and regulations: the same proportion is registered in Argentina and Mexico, behind Colombia (52%) and ahead of Brazil (48% ). Finally, 50% of the sample in the four countries considers the use of artificial intelligence to define who has the right to receive social benefits unacceptable, with Argentina and Mexico leading this rejection, with 51%, ahead of Colombia (50 %) and from Brazil (48%).
Strong rejection of AI monitoring of online conversations
Latin American Generation Z registers greater knowledge and optimism with artificial intelligence, but also resists uses of this technology with potential direct impacts on people’s lives. Only 28% of Gen Zers believe it is acceptable to use AI to determine court rulings, 32% favor applying this technology to write new laws, and 34% to determine eligibility for social benefits.
The majority of citizens in Latin America (55%) think that governments should not use AI to monitor what people say online. Less than a third (28%) say this would be acceptable practice.
Argentina is the country with the lowest level of acceptance of political surveillance (23%), followed by Colombia (25%), Brazil (29%) and Mexico (35%).
Half (50%) oppose political groups using AI to target voters with personalized messages. Argentina leads this rejection, with 51%, along with Colombia. They are followed by Mexico and Brazil, with 50% and 47%, respectively.
43% say online political content produced by AI can increase polarization. Only 21% of people in Argentina do not believe this can happen, behind Brazil (23%) and ahead of Colombia (17%) and Mexico (16%).
News generated with AI
34% in Latin America are aware that the news that people read on social networks is produced by AI, while 57% reject this application with little human supervision. Argentina is the country with the lowest acceptance of the use of AI for online news production: 21%, behind Mexico (30%), Colombia (26%) and Brazil (24%).
Furthermore, 38% of people in Latin America are aware of the application of AI to select the news that people read on social networks, while 51% reject the role of AI in curating the content they read. people consume on these platforms. Argentina leads the rejection, with 55%, followed by Colombia (54%), Brazil (48%) and Mexico (46%).
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
