Decline in trust in artificial intelligence among Italians: from 68% to 49% in six years

In 2020, two out of three Italians looked at the development of artificial intelligence as something positive. Six years later the share has fallen below half. According to the SWG survey carried out with the Lottomatica Foundation and presented to the Chamber in the event "Facts not things. Telling the economy", 49% of the people interviewed (around 800 subjects) consider AI a positive phenomenon, compared to 68% in 2020. In the same period those who see it as a cause for concern went from 23% to 45%. The distance between the two fronts was thus reduced from 45 to 4 points.

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The decline is part of a broader judgment on the relationship with technology. In the latest survey, out of 1,540 cases, 48% believed Italians were prepared to face the consequences of technological development. It is a level close to 47% in 2019 and higher than 40% in 2023. The figure changes with political orientation: 51% of centre-right voters believe the country is prepared, compared to 39% of centre-left voters.

Even on AI, the favorable opinion is almost entirely conditional: only 4% consider it "to be absolutely encouraged", while 45% consider it positive but to be kept "under control". The main fear is the loss of control. For 80% of those interviewed, a system that accesses networks, data or tools without authorization is a risk that is already real (40%) or plausible in the near future (40%).

Numbers that translate into the news. The survey question recalls the American confrontation between Donald Trump, who is against slowing down on AI so as not to favor China, and Bernie Sanders, who is in favor of temporarily stopping the most advanced developments. 46% want development to continue with more rigorous controls, 21% would accept slowing down even at the cost of losing ground on China, 15% would suspend the most advanced systems.

Europe is asked to focus on the safety of citizens (23%) or on an autonomous industrial path (22%). Independent scientific bodies should decide whether to stop a system that is too risky (30%); 6% would leave the choice to companies.