Americans embrace AI despite fraud fears: survey

Almost half (48%) of Americans believe the rise of artificial intelligence has made them less “fraud-savvy” than ever before, according to a new study.

With artificial intelligence in education, communication and even science, it is clear that innovative technology in the 21st century has its pros and cons. A survey of 2,000 American adults found that only 18% feel “very confident” in their ability to spot a scam before falling victim to it.

As the United States enters a new era of technology, AI continues to blur the line between reality and an artificial world. One in three even admit that it would be difficult for them to spot a potential scam if the scammer tried to impersonate someone they know personally.

Between creating fake news (68%), robocallers with realistic voices (67%) and sending texts from known phone numbers (62%), the possibility and probability of falling victim to a scam can cause anxiety for many Americans.

This may be because over the years, 34% of respondents have fallen victim to a scam in one way or another. For 22% of those surveyed, that incident was more than five years ago, before the recent rise of artificial intelligence.

But for others the sting is still fresh. According to the results, 40% were affected within the past year – with 8% indicating it was as recent as last month.

The most common types of scams affecting those victims include fake sales or listings (29%), financial transactions (29%) and email phishing (28%).

With such a wide variety of fraudulent activities, it’s no wonder that Americans hope to strike in several sectors. When asked which area they believe needs the most fraud protection, respondents overwhelmingly chose financial operations (49%), followed by email (15%) and online sales (14%).

The survey, conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by BOSS Revolution, also sought to gauge US adults’ feelings about artificial intelligence and found that it’s not all doom and gloom.

Nearly four in 10 respondents (38%) have a positive view of AI, and many of those surveyed are reaping the benefits. Although their integration may not be as advanced as those in the legal or medical fields, many already use AI to answer common questions (64%), to handle tasks they don’t want to do themselves do (43%) and even to translate. languages ​​(42%).

Of the 31% who tend to have a more negative view of AI, privacy and data concerns (67%), fear of it becoming uncontrollable (65%) and fraud concerns (61%) keep them in their mindset wary of the Terminator.

However, another 38% of all respondents admit they are likely to use AI for everyday tasks, such as translating languages ​​(48%), writing texts or emails (48%) or choosing recipes for cooked (41%).

And whether planned or not, 21% believe they interact with AI every day, with another 31% doing so several times a week.

However, with fraud and fraud rampant, 80% of respondents believe the use of AI should be more strictly regulated.

“As AI technology advances, so do the tactics of fraudsters who exploit it. It is essential that consumers remain vigilant,” said BOSS Revolution VP of Marketing Jessica Poverene. “We advise users to verify the identity of all parties involved in transactions, to refrain from hasty transactions under pressure and to constantly verify the contact information provided by the applicant. In cases of uncertainty, we also advise users to call the applicant using a trusted number to confirm their identity.

Talks about money – are a necessary common thread in any family and are often a source of stress. More than two-thirds of Americans (69%) believe artificial intelligence has had a seriously big impact on financial fraud.

Taking this a step further, only 25% believe that artificial intelligence has the ability to have a positive impact on their financial security.

And their concerns may be valid, as the average respondent sends money to other people or uses a remittance service about twice a month, further exposing themselves to potential scams and fraud.

They do it because it’s convenient (50%), it’s easy (32%) or because the person they have to pay lives far away (16%). Only 14% of respondents indicated that they use this service because it is more secure.

“Protecting users from fraud is a top priority for any modern company that values ​​the well-being of its users, especially in the evolving AI-driven fraud landscape,” said BOSS Revolution VP of Marketing Jessica Poverene. “It is important to use advanced algorithms and rigorous verification processes such as AI anomaly detection, real-time monitoring and multi-layered authentication to detect and prevent fraudulent activities to ensure transactions remain secure.”

HOW DO PEOPLE IN THE US REGULARLY INTERACT WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?

● Through a company’s chat/messaging service – 44%

● Social media – 37%

● Via telephone – 31%

● Text message – 31%

● Email – 26%

● Via an auxiliary speaker at home – 25%

Survey methodology:

This random two-choice survey of 2,000 Americans of the general population was commissioned by BOSS Revolution between June 5 and June 10, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Society of Market Research (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).