Public attitudes in Hungary towards artificial intelligence (in Autumn 2023)

Abstract

There is a consensus among experts that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing about fundamental changes at the level of individuals, organisations and society as a whole. At the same time, the introduction of AI-based solutions is not possible without knowledge of the social context, social acceptance of the developments and the inclusion of a sociological perspective. However, little is known about the perceptions of AI in Hungarian society. In our study, we use quantitative methods to map public attitudes towards AI and test our hypotheses on the factors influencing them. Our data come from two telephone surveys in 2023, representative along basic socio-demographic variables. The results show that the majority of Hungarians have a mixed, complex attitude towards AI, characterised by a simultaneous recognition of advantages and disadvantages and a differentiated perception of different specific uses. A lack of knowledge and an underestimation of the impact of AI are also typical. At present, opinions about AI show limited variance across socio-political groups, with only gender, income and knowledge being clearly related to attitudes. Our results raise new research questions and may inspire further sociological lines of inquiry that may be key to the harmonious integration of MI into social, cultural, ethical and legal contexts.