The 3rd Global MARCO New Consumer Report 2024
MIAMI, FLORIDA / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 21, 2024 / American AI concerns unveiled: 74% fear job loss, 59% perceive threat
- 71% of Americans express worries about AI's creating potential biases.
- 64% of American consumers recognize AI’s pivotal role in writing texts and creating/editing images but lack awareness of other uses.
In a groundbreaking survey conducted by the leading communication agency MARCO in partnership with the pioneer in Research Technology Cint, the intricate landscape of opinions and emotions surrounding AI comes to light. The 3rd Global MARCO New Consumer Report 2024 reveals a striking contrast: in American attitudes—74% fear job loss due to AI, yet 58% anticipate easier lives, underscoring the complex tapestry of sentiments generated by artificial intelligence. The survey was carried out from December 2023 to January 2024, engaging a diverse sample of 7,300 consumers across 11 countries (Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, UK, and USA), with Cint playing a pivotal role in both reaching research audiences and collecting comprehensive data.
This edition marks a significant shift, introducing comprehensive AI inquiries unlike the previous year's survey. The findings uncover ongoing worries among Americans, with 59% perceiving AI as a threat to humanity. Notably, 71% express concerns about AI contributing to biases and undesirable behaviors. Even with the majority of Americans believing AI can simplify their lives (58%), this figure is the lowest amongst all 11 countries surveyed, underscoring the negative American sentiments generated by this rapidly advancing technology.
Moreover, trends conclude that American women are more apprehensive of AI than American men, with more American women (64%) believing AI is a threat to humanity compared to American men (55%). Additionally, among female American respondents, only 52% believe that AI will contribute to making their lives easier, as opposed to 64% among their male counterparts.
“While AI might seem daunting, the key lies in education and awareness. Understanding the technology and its implications empowers individuals and helps demystify the fear surrounding AI. As we move forward, fostering a culture of education will be instrumental in embracing the opportunities AI presents to enhance our lives.” emphases Didier Lagae founder of MARCO.
As industries undergo digital transformation, understanding and addressing these concerns will be crucial for fostering a positive relationship between technology and the workforce.
Regarding the most widely recognized AI applications, the majority of American consumers (64%) acknowledge its involvement in text writing and image creation/editing. Awareness levels drop for AI applications in education (47%), autonomous cars (46%), the medical field (40%), agriculture and livestock (22%). These statistics reflect a contradiction between familiarity and comfortability with AI's role in various aspects of daily life in America.
Methodology:
The survey aimed to explore and analyze consumer attitudes and awareness regarding artificial intelligence (AI) across 11 key markets. The research period spanned from December 2023 to January 2024, providing a comprehensive snapshot of contemporary views on global topics.
The survey engaged a diverse sample of over 7,300 participants, representing countries with distinct cultural, economic, and technological landscapes. The included markets were Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the USA. This diverse selection aimed to capture a holistic understanding of global consumer behaviour.
A structured questionnaire was designed to cover various aspects of media consumption, brand commitment, AI applications, sustainability and work culture. Participants were asked to respond to both closed and open-ended questions, allowing for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Full reporting of the survey carried out by the research department of MARCO in collaboration with Cint can be consulted on http://themarcosurvey.com/.
About Us
About MARCO:
MARCO is the Madrid-based independent global communications agency with the highest client ratings among large agencies according to the latest PR SCOPE 2023* report.
Specializing in brand building and reputation management, the agency is led by Noelia Cruzado and Diana Vall as co-CEOs of MARCO. Formed by a team of nearly 200 consultants, it has its own offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Berlin, Munich, London, Miami, Mexico City, São Paulo, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Abidjan and Nairobi, as well as affiliated MSL offices in more than 100 markets.
MARCO is a pioneer in presenting the new paradigms of communication, which consist of transcending obsolete frontiers. For this reason, it is the first communication agency to produce a docuseries, "The New Frontiers of Communication", available on Amazon Prime Video and its own website. The docuseries is based on MARCO's patented methodology, known as TFCOM® (Transcending Communication Frontiers).
MARCO has acquired the magazine Ejecutivos and has relaunched Ejecutivos.es with the aim of positioning it as the Spanish-speaking online media of reference in the economic and business sector in Spain and Latin America. It has also acquired the consultancy Africa Communications Group (ACG) to maximize its geographical reach in Sub-Saharan Africa. MARCO also recently acquired the production company Carmela, to strengthen its capacity to produce first-class national and international advertising spots, as well as videos for branded content.
Founder and Executive Chairman of MARCO, Didier Lagae, was Deputy General Manager at Edelman, Head of Reputation Management EMEA at Weber Shandwick, External Communications Manager EMEA at Levi's and Global Head of Communications at The Body Shop. Didier Lagae was named 2019 European and Global PR Professional of the Year by PRWeek and the Stevie Awards, respectively, coinciding with the publication of his book 'Country Brand, a Branded Country'. Didier is a Climate Leader for Al Gore's The Climate Reality Project.
*PR Scope 2023 - category of consultancies with more than 15 clients participating in the showcase.
About Cint:
Cint is a pioneer in Research Technology (ResTech). Our platform, The Cint Exchange, is the world’s largest sample marketplace for digital market research. Our customers use the Cint Exchange to post survey questions and get answers from over 300 million people across 130 countries who have consented to share their opinions, motivations, and behaviors for a fee. They then use these answers to build business strategies, confidentially publish research, accurately measure the impact of digital advertising, and so much more. We are feeding the world’s curiosity.
Cint Group AB (publ), listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (STO: CINT), has a global workforce of over 1000. Cint has offices in Stockholm, London, New York, Japan, New Orleans, Singapore, Gurgaon, and Sydney, among other locations.
Contact Information
Loredana Domingo
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