Beyond concerns about AI, consumers see usefulness — particularly in cybersecurity, privacy

Almost two-thirds of American consumers welcome advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cybersecurity is among the areas where assistance from AI has the most appeal, according to a new survey.

Almost two-thirds of American consumers welcome advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cybersecurity is among the areas where assistance from AI has the most appeal, according to a new survey.

Sixty-three percent of consumers agree AI will “help solve complex problems that plague modern societies,” according to the survey, published Tuesday by the accounting and consulting firm PwC. When respondents were asked about different kinds of issues that AI might help with, 68 percent highlighted cybersecurity and privacy, while 66 percent chose its importance in helping to solve cancer and other diseases and 71 percent agreed AI could provide educational help to disadvantaged schoolchildren.

“Despite the doomsday scenarios painted by Hollywood and news media, most consumers are optimistic about AI’s potential for good,” states the report, titled “Bot.Me: A revolutionary partnership.”

On the other hand, almost half of respondents — 46 percent — said they believe AI will harm people by taking away jobs. And 23 percent believe it will have more serious, negative implications.

Even those optimistic about the future of AI predict that it will replace human workers. In the next five years, more than half can imagine AI assistants replacing humans as tutors (58 percent), travel agents (56 percent), tax preparers (54 percent), and office assistants (52 percent). However, consumers still have doubts and/or reservations about AI becoming home assistants, financial advisers, chauffeurs, or doctors.

Government

• Feds accuse China of ‘systematic’ distillation of U.S. AI models

• CIA’s Michael Ellis says cyber intelligence is changing how the agency operates

• Jail time for Maine child in 764 marks turning point in federal law enforcement

• FCC proposes public scorecard to rate telecoms on anti-robocall efforts

Technology

• Pegasus, NoviSpy variant spyware found on devices of Serbian activists

• Wyden seeks upgraded NSA security guidance on commercial VPN use

• The Collective Cyber Defense letter wrote your next vendor questionnaire

• Former sexual abuse victims say Grok used their images, videos to train deepfake capabilities

Threats

• Chinese espionage groups swarm to exploit triple-link chain of zero-days

• Microsoft discloses two actively exploited zero-days among 974 vulnerabilities

• Russian national extradited to US for alleged involvement in bank-account takeover scheme

• Attackers exploit zero-days in consistently besieged SonicWall product

Policy

• Whistleblower says USPS deploying new, ‘untested’ IT systems governing mail-in ballots

• ‘Watershed 250’ test program in Texas looks to private sector for water cybersecurity help

• Cyber threats nudge Trump to sign executive order on foreign equipment in U.S. energy infrastructure

• Election official says Tina Peters would be consultant, won’t have access to election systems