A combined 54% of people between the ages of 60 and 78 said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools “are more of a threat than social media platforms concerning personal data misuse.” An even larger share of 82% said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are “concerned with the security and privacy of my personal data and those I interact with when using AI tools.”
The findings arrive at a critical time for consumers, as AI developers increasingly integrate their tools into everyday online life. With little choice in the matter, consumers are responding with robust pushback. For this research, a survey of newsletter readers was conducted in October via the Alchemer Survey Platform.
In total, 851 people across the globe responded. The analysis focused on survey participants who belong to the Baby Boomer generation. Key findings include:
– 35% of Baby Boomers said they know “just the names” of some of the largest generative AI products, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta AI.
– 71% of Baby Boomers said they have “never used” any generative AI tools, a seemingly impossible statistic as Google search results now provide “AI overviews” powered by the company’s Gemini product. – Only 12% of Baby Boomers believe that “generative AI tools are good for society.”
– More than 80% of Baby Boomers said that they worry about generative AI tools both improperly accessing their data and misusing their personal information. – While more than 50% of Baby Boomers said they would feel more secure in using generative AI tools if the companies behind them provided regular security audits, a full 23% were unmoved by proposals for transparency or government regulation.
Since San Francisco-based AI developer OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public two years ago, generative artificial intelligence has spread into nearly every corner of online life.
Baby Boomers’ AI trust issues
Public reactions have been largely skeptical.
According to the research, Baby Boomers do not trust generative AI, the companies making it, or the tools that implement it. A full 75% of Baby Boomers said they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are “fearful of what the future will bring with AI.” Those sentiments are reflected in the 47% of Baby Boomers who said they “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that “generative AI tools are good for society.”
In particular, Baby Boomers shared broad concerns over how these tools and the developers behind them collect and use their data. More than 80% of Baby Boomers agreed they held concerns about their data being accessed without permission, personal information being misused, not having control over their data, and a lack of transparency into how their data is being used.
The impact on behavior is immediate, as 71% of Baby Boomers said they “refrain from including certain data/information when using generative AI tools due to concerns over security or privacy.
The companies behind these AI tools also have yet to win over Baby Boomers, with 87% saying they “disagree” or “strongly disagree” that they “trust generative AI companies to be transparent about potential biases in their systems.”
Coupled with the high levels of distrust that Baby Boomers have for generative AI are widespread feelings that many corrective measures would have little impact. Few of the proposed restrictions, regulations, and external controls gained mass approval from Baby Boomers. Several participants specifically asked for the ability to delete any personal data ingested by the AI tools, and other participants tied their distrust to today’s model of online corporate success, believing that any large company will collect and sell their data to stay afloat.
But frequently, participants also said they could not be swayed at all to use generative AI. As one respondent wrote: “There is nothing that would make me comfortable with it.”
Whether Baby Boomers represent a desirable customer segment for AI developers is unknown, but for many survey participants, that likely doesn’t matter. It’s already too late.
Rashan is a seasoned technology journalist and visionary leader serving as the Editor-in-Chief of DevX.com, a leading online publication focused on software development, programming languages, and emerging technologies. With his deep expertise in the tech industry and her passion for empowering developers, Rashan has transformed DevX.com into a vibrant hub of knowledge and innovation. Reach out to Rashan at [email protected]
