In recent years, AI has become a significant investment for major companies. OpenAI's ChatGPT is one of the market leaders, with tools like Microsoft's Copilot leveraging it, but there are many competitors, such as Claude, trying to surpass OpenAI.
Despite the substantial marketing efforts around the best AI chatbots, including the excitement surrounding the free-to-use ChatGPT 4o, these products aren't as popular as you might think, as a recent survey indicates that only a minority of users interact with ChatGPT daily.
A survey conducted by Reuters Institute and Oxford University, as reported by the BBC, asked 12,000 people from six countries various questions about AI. The findings reveal that very few users log in to ChatGPT or similar tools daily—only 7% in the US and 2% in the UK.
Moreover, while social media may seem inundated with discussions about AI tools, a significant portion of people remain unaware of them. In the UK, 42% haven't heard of any AI tools, while in the US, the figure is 47%, with ChatGPT being the most recognized. Other tools like Copilot are even less known.
The study also explored attitudes towards journalism using AI tools. While most respondents are comfortable with journalists using AI for tasks like spelling and grammar checks, only 14% would trust a news article entirely generated by AI. Trust increases with more human involvement, with 58% preferring fully human-written news.
In light of these findings, Vox Media's partnership with OpenAI seems contrary to the sentiments of most journalists and the public. The survey suggests that despite a vast archive of journalistic data, most people wouldn't trust ChatGPT for their news.
The study also implies that Google's recent AI initiatives might be misguided. Google's AI overviews have been criticized for suggesting harmful actions, and the company is being perceived negatively for using information from sites it suppresses. The recent collaboration with Reddit for data to power its AI further exacerbates these concerns.
Despite the significant investments in AI, the consensus is that it might be too early for widespread adoption. AI tools represent the future for many companies, but currently, most people are either unaware of or disinterested in using these tools.