Most B.C. residents feel AI risks outweigh benefits and worry about discrimination

Source Domain: dailyhive.com

Increasing AI Awareness: Since 2024, there has been a sharp rise in AI awareness in B.C., with 54 percent having a great deal of knowledge about it, marking a 17-point increase.
Growing Distrust and Concern: Despite increased awareness, there’s a growing wariness towards AI, with 79 percent expressing more concern than excitement, and many feeling distrustful towards AI’s ability to avoid discrimination or bias.
Community Opposition: Following the announcement of an AI data centre in Vancouver, there have been protests highlighting community concerns against such developments.
Major Concerns: The standout concerns include deepfakes for political disinformation, unregulated use of personal information to train AI models, government use of AI for critical decisions, job losses due to AI, and AI replacing medical professionals.
Calls for Regulation: B.C. residents overwhelmingly believe it is the government’s role to regulate the developing AI technology to prevent harm and ensure safety, emphasizing a need for improved regulations.
Policy Recommendations: Experts and institutions call for robust, human rights-centered AI policies and regulation, noting the lack of meaningful AI regulation in Canada currently.

Most B.C. residents feel AI risks outweigh benefits and worry about discrimination | Daily Hive