European Tech Insights

Mapping European Attitudes towards Technological Change and its Governance.

Technology is transforming the world around us and this brings a combination of excitement and opportunity, but also challenges to our way of life, labor markets and societies. To tackle the great technological transformation of our time, public and private actors need to understand what is legitimate in the eyes of the citizens and what sort of technological future they may be ready to embrace. Our annual survey, European Tech Insights, explores attitudes towards technological change with the aim of understanding how technology is transforming our lives and how it should be governed.

The 2023 edition of European Tech Insights delves deeper into attitudes towards Generative AI, Data Economy, Biotechnology, and European values, introducing a conversation that is necessary in guiding our common futures.

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European Tech Insights 2023 reveals a significant trust on the European Union and a tangible sense of hope, particularly regarding the healthcare applications of technology, where scientists are using biotech advancements to save lives. However, this enthusiasm is nuanced by concerns over the negative economic and social externalities of the data economy and the fast adoption of AI and automation in the workplace and beyond.

Governing Technology

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, Europeans’ stance on various tech-related issues has come under the spotlight. The findings of European Tech Insights 2023 reflect a continent that largely supports EU involvement in implementing technological regulation. When it comes to regulating Artificial Intelligence, Europeans trust the EU more than their national governments and corporations.

– 44% of Europeans trust the European Union more than their own countries or corporations to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI).

– 88% of citizens hope that the EU will play an active role in guiding technological developments.

The Data Economy

European citizens prioritize safety and comfort over data privacy:

– A majority of Europeans (60%) are willing to give away their privacy rights by sharing their data with companies and governments to combat global threats such as terrorist attacks or hacking attempts.

– Italy (53%) and Estonia (52%) are the only countries where only a slight majority of their citizens refuse to share personal data to combat global threats.

– Women are more reluctant to share their personal data compared to men (55% versus 65% respectively).

– A third of EU citizens (33%) are willing to continue using apps that may pose a risk for their privacy, even if the EU advises against using them. Prioritizing privacy increases with age, as 76% of those above 75 years old would uninstall the app.

The Age of Generative AI

This year’s report reveals that more than two thirds of Europeans want their governments to limit AI and automation by law:

– 68% of Europeans want government restrictions on AI and automation to protect jobs.

– The citizens of France (82,9%), Spain (81,7%) and Italy (75,3%) are the most favorable to limiting AI and automation.

– This view has spiked by 18% in the continent within a year, possibly due to the introduction of popular Generative AI tools (ChatGPT, BART, Midjourney), rising from 58% in 2022 to 68% in 2023.

– In some countries, this increase has been very significant (Sweden +50,2%, UK +40,75, or Italy +34,9%).

Technology and Life Sciences

Europeans are embracing Biotech and Healthtech advancements, as a majority of Europeans view gene-editing technology as positive for humankind, and more than a third are open to cognitive brain implants:

– The majority of Europeans (58%) believe that gene-editing technology will bring positive outcomes.

– 34% of the continent’s citizens would be willing to get a brain implant to augment cognitive abilities. Nearly half of the population in Sweden (49%), Poland (47%) and Romania (46%) would do so.

– 18% of Europeans would trust an analytical diagnosis by an AI system more than an observational one from a human doctor. This percentage increases to 27% in Sweden and 25% in Romania.

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SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The European Tech Insights 2023 survey was conducted in August 2023. In this study, the CGC collected responses from 3,003 adults across 10 countries: the United Kingdom, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden. The samples maintained a representative balance in terms of age, gender, region and education.

PREVIOUS EDITIONS

European Tech Insights 2022 was marked the resurgence of a war in Europe and an intense geopolitical context. The 2022 edition examined perceptions on the Ukrainian conflict, technology in democracy, and the role of emerging tech.

European Tech Insights 2021 is composed of two studies: Part I focused on how the pandemic has altered our habits and perceptions with regards to healthcare, work, social networks and the urban space. Part II revealed how Europeans are embracing technologies (from AI to automation) and what are the implications for our democracies and societies.

European Tech Insights 2020 revealed how the onset of the pandemic had a major impact on global attitudes towards data privacy, politcs and the regulation of new technologies.

European Tech Insights 2019 confirmed a shared intuition among researchers: the Fourth Industrial Revolution is producing a growing sense of insecurity and uncertainty among our fellow citizens.

To find out more download our reports above.

AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

IE - REINVENTING HIGHER EDUCATION