Alteryx Survey Reveals AI Trust Gap
New research finds that 78% of businesses say generative AI adds value, but 42% of the general public are fearful about its future
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Alteryx, Inc., a leader in AI for enterprise analytics, released findings from comprehensive new research into the awareness of and sentiment toward generative AI in 2024. The “Market Research: Attitudes and Adoption of Generative AI” report surveyed 2,000 global IT business leaders and 3,000 members of the general public to gather insights that expose the differing perceptions of how the world is navigating and embracing the AI technology. Although more than three-quarters (78%) of organizations say generative AI adds business value, 46% of general public respondents are skeptical about its value, and 42% are fearful about its future.
Here are the major findings of the survey.
Business understanding of generative AI versus the general public
- 58% of the general public uses generative AI to search for information, and 43% of businesses use it for data analysis
- 76% of the general public feel positive about the increasing use of generative AI to create content they consume, but 44% added that its use needs to be regulated
- Opinions on areas where generative AI should never be used differ, with 47% of the general public citing politics and 39% of business respondents citing healthcare decision-making
- 65% of business leaders reported that AI hallucinations negatively impact their overall trust in AI; 73% of the general public say the same
Generative AI is starting to deliver business value, but challenges need to be overcome
- In the last year, businesses have run an average of three pilots using generative AI, and 77% say the projects were very or extremely successful
- Businesses listed data privacy and security (41%), security concerns (39%), and quality and reliability of outputs (34%) as top challenges in scaling AI; only 38% reported that ethical use guidelines were in place
- Getting training right today is essential, especially because 29% reported that a lack of skilled talent is holding them back from scaling generative AI across the organization; however, 19% of organizations using generative AI don’t offer any mandatory AI training
- 65% of businesses feel that generative AI will likely replace existing job roles in the organization over the next two to three years; only 35% of the general public believe generative AI will lead to job losses
Usage and output concerns and challenges remain
- Three in five (62%) businesses plan to continue to increase their investment in generative AI technologies;42% of the general public is concerned about how hackers may use generative AI to commit crimes, and 38% think it will give rise to fake news
- Almost half of the businesses say their organization has experienced misinformation produced by generative AI, and 39% reported that the material delivered by generative AI appeared to infringe on copyright or other intellectual property rights
- Similarly, 53% of the general public reported that information produced by generative AI was incorrect, and 39% believed it was outdated
“Data literacy and a command of data analytics arguably remain critical to unlocking AI’s full potential while delivering ethical and trusted outcomes,” said Trevor Schulze, CIO at Alteryx. “With high-quality, clean data at the foundation of AI, businesses need to accelerate the data journey without compromising on ethical considerations and policies governing the use of data and AI. Self-service platforms that empower non-technical users to access and analyze data while harnessing AI in a secure and trusted environment are ideal for fostering trustworthy generative AI outcomes.”
You can read the report here (short registration required).