Áron Kovács Nagy discussed this topic with our co-founder, Levente Szabados, in Trend-idők.
Survey results
A recent survey covering 32 countries revealed that Hungarians are less apprehensive about the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) compared to residents of many other countries. According to the survey results, 45 percent of Hungarians believe that AI will significantly transform their work in the next five years, while globally this figure stands at 60%. A quarter of the respondents fear that AI might even take their jobs, while this concern is shared by 36% globally.
Less direct experience with AI systems
According to AI expert Levente Szabados, the lower level of concern among Hungarians may partly stem from having less direct experience with AI systems. Due to the specificities of the Hungarian language, machine translation programs were more cumbersome and of poorer quality for a long time. This discouraged people from experimenting, and when large language models appeared, they were already skeptical.
The importance of a realistic picture
Szabados believes that people tend to overestimate or underestimate the capabilities of AI systems, depending on whether they have first-hand experience with them. Only direct trials and experimentation can provide a realistic picture of what these systems can do, and thus, the sense of threat can also become more realistic.
Different challenges for machines and humans
It is also observed that people often assume that what is difficult for them is also difficult for machines, and vice versa. However, this is not always the case, as machine systems face different challenges. Simpler tasks without physical perception are likely to be automated earlier, while more complex tasks involving physical movement will be automated later, although this does not mean they will not happen—just a bit later.
What should be done?
The pace of technological advancement and its societal impacts significantly influence people’s lives and work environments. Regarding the spread of AI, it is important for people to have a realistic understanding of these systems’ capabilities and limitations. Direct experiences and trials can help people avoid overestimating or underestimating AI capabilities, thus fostering a more realistic and balanced attitude. This is especially important in addressing future workplace changes and fears related to automation. An open and flexible attitude enables people to better adapt to new technologies and take advantage of their benefits.
