New analysis: Young people believe AI will reduce trust in politicians - now they are being heard in Parliament
More than half of Danish young people aged 18-30 believe that AI will have a negative impact on Danes' trust in politicians, according to a survey conducted by Epinion for the think tank INVI. This emphasizes the importance of young people being heard when politicians set the course for the responsible use and development of artificial intelligence in Denmark. Next Tuesday, Think Tank INVI, in collaboration with the youth organization SAGA, will hold a 'Youth hearing on the future of responsible AI' at Christiansborg.
A recently published survey from the think tank INVI in collaboration with Epinion shows that 51% of Danish young people aged 18-30 believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a negative or predominantly negative impact on trust in politicians in the future.
Many young people are already aware of the challenges of technology, asking critical questions about surveillance, algorithmic bias, manipulation and data protection, and worried about what it will mean for their lives, jobs and opportunities, as numerous studies have found.
That's why it's crucial to include young people's perspectives and give young people a strong voice when creating a political framework for the development and use of AI solutions in Denmark:
"We need to bring young people's voices into the conversation about the use and development of AI in Denmark. As digital natives, they have a unique perspective on the technology, while at the same time they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences of the decisions we make or don't make today. Therefore, they are key players in the conversation," says INVI's Head of Agenda, Tine Maria Borresø.
In collaboration with the youth organization SAGA and with support from the Tuborg Foundation, INVI has therefore spent the last six months involving more than 700 Danish young people aged 18-30 in a series of events under the common heading Folketingets Vilde Uge.
On Tuesday 18 March, the young people's thoughts - including a number of ethical dilemmas and scenarios they have devised - will be presented to the Danish Parliament's Committee for Digitization and IT at a Youth Hearing in Fællessalen at Christiansborg, where Minister of Digitization, Caroline Stage Olsen, will give the opening speech.
Young people are aware of the dilemmas of AI technology
The Epinion survey was conducted in connection with the Danish Parliament's Wild Week. It examines the views of young people aged 18-30 on responsible AI, and it shows that:
74% of Danish young people believe there is a high risk of blind trust in results and recommendations created by AI.
70% of young people are concerned that AI increases the amount of misinformation and manipulation.
56% of young people see a risk of growing social inequality between those who master new technologies and those who do not.
55% percent are worried that it will cut jobs as a result of automation.
64% believe that AI adoption will have a positive or mostly positive impact on business innovation in the future.
51% have a mostly positive belief in the impact of AI on health.
INVI's survey shows that Danish young people are aware that AI is a technology that poses great challenges, but they also see potential.
Giving young people a voice in the development of AI
As we navigate the digital transformation we are in the midst of, it is crucial to create political legislation and regulation that stimulates innovation while ensuring ethical and transparent AI solutions. This is what is often referred to under a broad heading as responsible AI.
Responsible AI is a key concept that many are talking about: from Danish ministries to tech companies to research institutions.
The government is also working to set a responsible direction for the development of AI with the Digitalization Strategy from 2024. One of the goals is to set a "responsible direction" for a "new strategic effort and vision for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence".
But new voices and new ways of developing politics are needed if we are to succeed, according to several studies. The study 'The State of Democracy' from Mandag Morgen indicates that almost every third Dane is dissatisfied with democracy. And the 'Democracy Analysis 2024' conducted by the Danish Youth Council shows that 53% of young people aged 16-25 have low democratic self-confidence and that only 43% of young people surveyed believe they have political opinions worth listening to.
The project Folketingets Vilde Uge was created to give young people a voice in the complex debate about how we create responsible AI and rethink the way we do it. Over the past six months, young people have developed future scenarios and political dilemmas that express their excitement and concerns about responsible AI in Denmark and what they think is most important for Danish politicians to address.
The Youth Hearing is the culmination of Parliament's Wild Week.
Press inquiries:
Do you have questions about the analysis or Folketingets vilde uge? Contact Communications Advisor Anders Degn at anders@invi.nu or +45 53 38 32 32 53.
More info:
Read the full analysis "Danish youth are worried that AI will erode trust and credibility" here.
Read more about the overall project Folketingets Wild Week here.
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