ChatGPT's Reach Limited Among U.S. Adults, Pew Research Shows

Despite the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, most Americans remain unfamiliar and don’t anticipate it to impact their jobs,

A recent analysis from the Pew Research Center found that 18% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT, though awareness is higher.

Here’s a closer look at the survey results conducted in July 2023.

ChatGPT Adoption

Roughly 24% of Americans who are aware of ChatGPT have used it. The adoption rate varies with age, education, and gender.

Younger and college-educated individuals are more likely to have used ChatGPT than older adults and those with only a high school education.

Men aware of ChatGPT are more likely to have used it than women.

ChatGPT is primarily used for entertainment (20% of users) and learning (19% of users), while 16% of employed users have used it for work tasks.

Predicted Impact On Various Industries

Survey respondents predict that chatbot technology like ChatGPT could impact jobs traditionally considered safe from automation.

Over half of those who are aware of ChatGPT believe it will majorly impact software engineers (56%), graphic designers (54%), and journalists (52%) over the next two decades.

However, fewer respondents foresee a substantial effect on teachers (44%) and lawyers (31%).

Only 12% predict a significant impact from chatbots in the hospitality and service sectors.

Most American Workers Feel Their Job Is Safe

Despite the predictions we went over in the last section, only some respondents believe chatbots will impact their own jobs.

Around 19% of employed adults aware of ChatGPT believe it will have a significant impact, 36% anticipate a minor impact, and 27% expect no impact.

Among employed adults aware of ChatGPT, those aged 30 to 49 are the most likely to predict that chatbots will impact their jobs, as are those with more formal education.

Views vary by industry, with those in information and technology most likely to predict a significant impact.

Roughly 15% of working adults aware of ChatGPT believe that chatbots would be extremely helpful for their job.

Regulatory Concerns

As chatbots evolve, there is increased debate over appropriate governmental regulation.

Most of those aware of ChatGPT (66%) are more concerned that the government will not sufficiently regulate chatbot use, while 31% fear overregulation.

Democrats and Republicans share this concern about under-regulation, although it is more prevalent among Democrats. Democrats favor more regulation at 75% compared to 59% of Republicans.

In Summary

While the “robot revolution” might be making headlines, the average American remains unfazed by this advancement in generative AI.

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