People hate AI, so why can't they get enough? (www.technologyreview.com)

Recent discussions highlight a growing paradox in public sentiment toward AI: while usage rates surge, negative perceptions are also on the rise. A Pew Research Center report indicates that more adults in the U.S. expect AI to harm them personally and society overall than to bring benefits, reflecting a widespread apprehension about the relentless push for AI integration by tech companies. For instance, over half of people globally express discomfort with AI products, and significant opposition exists against new AI data centers. Despite this, usage statistics are striking, with tools like ChatGPT and Google DeepMind’s Gemini rapidly amassing millions of users. This complex relationship suggests that many users may harbor concerns not about the technology itself but about how aggressively it's being marketed and implemented. The fact that multiple U.S. states have introduced around 2,100 bills regulating AI underscores a political will for oversight that was often absent during previous tech evolutions like social media. As startups, like Springboards, seek to develop alternative models of large language models (LLMs), there is potential for increased consumer choice and pressure on corporations to clarify the limits and realities of AI technology, steering the conversation away from hype toward responsible deployment.