Indians lead the world in expecting that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact on their lives in the next five years and later, said a report on Tuesday.

About 82 per cent of some 1,000 Indians older than 18 expected AI to benefit them in areas such as health, jobs, and ability to understand complex topics, said the survey by Google and Ipsos. The global average was 54 per cent, said the survey called “Our Life with AI: The reality of today and the promise of tomorrow”.

Over 70 per cent of Indians surveyed said they already sense the positive impact of AI, perceiving its effect the most in accessing information.

Most Indians believed in the long-term impact of AI, expecting the technology to address development issues in the next 25 years. As many as 77 per cent believed it will help reduce poverty and 86 per cent said it will improve transportation.

Sanjay Gupta, country head and vice-president of Google India, said: “As an AI-first company, we have been enormously encouraged by the optimism with which India is embracing AI’s every advance, and more importantly, shaping it. The Ipsos survey confirms Indians’ strong expectations of inclusive economic growth from AI integration.”

Indians said AI’s application will be important in health, security, climate change, personalised education, improved accessibility, and space exploration.

Indians expect AI to have a positive impact on jobs, with 80 per cent believing it will be beneficial for them individually. A similar proportion of respondents in Singapore, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates match their optimism. As many as 95 per cent of Indians have talked about AI in their workplaces, compared to the global average of 65 per cent.

The proportion of people who felt that the changes AI will drive for jobs and industries in the next five years will be “a good thing” was highest in India at 75 per cent. It was 29 per cent in the United States and 52 per cent globally.

“Ipsos is thrilled to partner with Google on the ‘Our Life with AI’ study. As people around our world deal with multiple challenges, it is important to also be aware of the great potential this moment presents. We at Ipsos are very excited about how AI will help people think more deeply about data and use data to make a greater positive difference in the world,” said Ben Page, chief executive officer, of the international market research and consulting firm.

Google is committed to “deepening our partnerships with (the Indian) government and the ecosystem to widen the impact of our AI leadership, ensuring that every new innovation unlocks aspirations of the individual and the country,” said Gupta.

First Published: Feb 13 2024 | 4:19 PM IST