As every part of society starts using generative AI, whom does the public trust to use it well? According to Nature, a survey published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford on 29 October found that scientists are seen as the group most likely to have a positive impact on society through their use of generative AI.
The survey covered nearly 19,000 people in nine countries; 46% of respondents said that AI use by scientists will make society better. People who use AI tools daily or weekly were also much more likely to expect positive effects in every sector than those who seldom or never use them.
The report stresses that this trust comes with conditions. For researchers it is both a vote of confidence and a reminder that public views of scientists' AI use may depend on how openly and responsibly it happens.
The link between use and trust also invites a behavioural question that a cross-sectional survey cannot settle: does using AI build trust, or are more trusting people simply more likely to use it?
