A new Gallup Microsoft AI survey, published on September 23, reveals that people world wide generally feel optimistic about artificial intelligence. This wide spread positive out look is notable given that most respondents reported never having actually used the technology. The poll found that positive sentiments towards AI out weighed negative ones in 34 of the first 37 countries completing field work. The only nations where this trend did not hold were the United States, Egypt, and Palestine.
Among AI aware adults across these 37 countries, 72 percent expressed at least one positive emotion, compared to 41 percent reporting a negative one. Curiosity was the most frequent positive response at a median of 64 percent, while worry was the most common negative feeling at 32 percent. Regarding AI's national impact, more people in 29 countries believed it would mostly benefit their nation. A significant contrast emerged between China, where 93 percent expected AI to help, and the United States, which ranked near the bottom at 36 percent.