HONG KONG: The rapid development of artificial intelligence is prompting a global debate over its potential benefits and risks, with people across several countries expressing concerns about job losses, misinformation and loss of human control while also highlighting its growing usefulness.
In Rome, architect Frida Awrohum said AI provided fresh ideas for her work but admitted that its rapid progress remained worrying. Eighteen-year-old student Diego Sermattei, meanwhile, said AI had become useful for quickly finding information.
AI transforms everyday life
In Indonesia, student Astrid Anindya said she uses several chatbots for information and help with job applications. She acknowledged that AI can provide incorrect information and said she cross-checks responses between ChatGPT and Gemini.
In the United States, concerns focused heavily on employment and regulation. New York State analyst Maliyka Muhammad said AI had been “unleashed” and called for collective efforts to regulate the technology.
San Francisco software engineer Lucy Pen said AI had already changed her work, with agents increasingly writing code that she previously produced herself.
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In China, people expressed mixed views. Shanghai resident Xie Zongbo said society would gradually learn to reduce AI’s negative effects and maximise its benefits. Pharmaceutical worker Jenny argued that businesses could not be expected to regulate themselves and called for government rules.
Businessman Yang Shuai warned that future generations could face serious difficulties in finding jobs.
Calls grow for stronger safeguards
In Chile, advertising student Catalina Cruz said AI could weaken independent thinking and raised concerns about its environmental impact. Occupational therapist Constanza Medel viewed the technology more positively, provided appropriate safeguards were in place.
French trainee train driver Romain Hamel said AI was advancing faster than society could assess its consequences and called for stronger regulatory frameworks to prevent abuse.
Japanese workers also expressed contrasting views. Advertising employee Atsukuni Tabata said the accumulation of data was concerning, while service worker Konno Hazuki argued that AI could not fully replace human interaction because it lacks emotions.
