Understanding user interactions and perceptions of AI risk in Singapore

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent and its application highly sophisticated. Concerns about AI's vulnerabilities and future threats have, however, long been debated among scientists and the tech community. By integrating Beck's theory of risk society with an audience-centered sense-making approach, we seek to understand the effects of AI on the general public's daily lives and their concerns when they adopt AI technology. Five focus groups with 36 participants from Singapore, a technologically advanced country, were conducted to investigate their risk perceptions of AI and AI-powered technology. We found that participants were not passive consumers of content showing up on their news feeds; indeed, some participants attempted to outsmart the algorithms. They were aware that tech companies often tweak algorithms to personalize content and drive consumers into rabbit holes. Nevertheless, despite a certain level of awareness and sporadic attempts to “outsmart” the system, many users might still be influenced by these algorithms, underscoring the extent to which consumers are often manipulated by smart tech powered by AI. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications of our findings by looking at the contextual factors.