A recent survey reveals a significant decline in Americans’ trust in online content as artificial intelligence continues to blur the lines between real and artificial information. The study finds that a shocking 78% of Americans now see the internet as a “house of mirrors.” That’s true, which makes it all the more harder for them to know the real versus AI generated information. This sentiment is echoed by Rebecca Hahn, Chief Communications Officer of Tools for Humanity, who stated, “Trust in the internet hasn’t just declined — it’s collapsed under an avalanche of AI-generated noise.”
The survey demonstrates that Americans trust less than half of what they see online. On the average, Americans come face to face at least five times a week with information they suspect could be generated by AI. Shockingly, 15% of people encounter this kind of material over ten times a week. AI-created content There’s a lot of AI-generated content out there. Because of this, 78% of respondents report that it’s more difficult than ever to identify genuine content online.
Anxiety among internet users across the world is at an all-time high as well. Further, the study found that an incredible 43% of Americans experience anxiety when going into online interactions with customer service reps. As it turns out, we’re not the only ones who feel stressed out while using the internet. In truth, 23% reported they get uncomfortable when reserving accommodations or hotels, and 22% get anxious over sending cash using nonbank apps.
Furthermore, only 30% of Americans can accurately identify whether a business review was penned by AI or a human writer. Consumers aren’t exactly confident in product or service reviews. Yet only 31% of respondents are confident that they will know when AI content is presented to them versus human content.
As our national survey recently found, this is the harsh reality for those trying to get reliable information online. Americans are only sure that 41% of what they see is 100% true and human generated. They estimate that 23% of online content is completely false or intentionally misleading, while 36% falls somewhere between accurate and inaccurate.
In answer to all these challenges, a wary 85% of Americans agree that we need more transparency. An overwhelming 82% of Americans say that companies and providers should be required to disclose whenever they’re using AI. This is especially true for departments such as marketing, communications, customer service, and their websites. This demand for transparency aligns with the sentiment expressed by Hahn: “Being able to prove you’re human online is becoming as essential as having an email address was twenty years ago.”
The results show that three-quarters (75%) of Americans don’t trust the internet now more than ever. This loss of faith is indicative of the skepticism and cynicism that has seeped into our online experiences and into the perceived reality of digital content.
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