Hajra Naz
Remember those chatbots everyone was raving about? Yeah, turns out they’re not exactly taking the world by storm.Â
A new study by some brainiacs at Oxford and Reuters just dropped, and it seems all that hype might be a bit inflated.Â
They surveyed over 12,000 people across the globe, and guess what? Only a tiny fraction (like 2% in Britain!) use these chatbots daily. Talk about a reality check!
Youngsters seem to be the only ones catching the chatbot bug, with 18-24-year-olds being the most enthusiastic bunch. Maybe it’s the whole “new toy” syndrome?Â
The study’s lead researcher, Dr Richard Fletcher, thinks there’s a big gap between the hype and what individuals are concerned about.
These chatbots can chat you up and even whip up several images and videos, but for most folks, it’s just not that functional in their day-to-day lives.
Heck, a third of Brits hadn’t even heard of these things! Maybe all that technical jargon and talk of robots taking over the world is a bit much for the average person.
Here’s the twist: even though daily use is low, people still have strong feelings about these chatbots. It’s like a rollercoaster of hope and fear! Some folks think they’ll be a game-changer, boosting the economy and even helping us find miracle cures.Â
Others are worried they’ll steal our jobs or, worse, become some kind of sci-fi nightmare! (Think Skynet, but with bad grammar).
The study found people are most excited about AI being used in science and healthcare, but get jittery when it comes to news and journalism. There’s a concern about fake news and how these chatbots might be misused to spread who-knows-what.
Dr. Fletcher thinks this is a wake-up call for a more down-to-earth conversation about AI. Everyone, from fancy government folks to us regular people, needs to be involved.Â
This fancy tech shouldn’t be some mystery locked away in Silicon Valley. In general, it’s going to impact all of us, so let’s be sure it’s an excellent thing!
