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Great interest of Spaniards in artificial intelligence (AI)

Image by Gerd Altmann at Pixaba

Spain is one of the countries with the greatest involvement with artificial intelligence: 59% of users acknowledge having heard or read about AI.

  • The greatest interest in this technology is among young people and among those who report higher educational and income levels.

  • The causes that explain this trend are the lack of technological management, distrust in the platforms or the need for greater digital literacy.

The standardized use of artificial intelligence (AI) through platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini has become widespread in recent years. The ability of these tools to adapt to the demand for personalized content invites reflection on their application for journalistic purposes. It is of special interest to know the relationship that audiences establish with the use of new platforms, their level of knowledge and the proposals to integrate artificial intelligence in the news production process. In this way, journalistic routines become relevant, as well as the audience's view on professional values, information hierarchization, news automation and content generation. 

With this in mind, this year in 28 of the 47 countries, respondents were asked how much information they have heard or read about AI. The data for the set of countries, mostly belonging to the global north, shows that 45% say they have consulted information on artificial intelligence, compared to 49% who acknowledge having had little or no access to information on this topic. 

Spain, one of the countries with the greatest involvement in artificial intelligence

The data report that 59% have heard or read a little or a lot about its implementation, compared to 39% who acknowledge that they have heard little or nothing about it knowledge topic . Only Brazil is above this figure. With regard to the highest standards of knowledge, it should be noted that in most countries the percentage is close to 20%. Those who mention a moderate enquiry (having heard "something" about AI) have a higher visibility. We observe a similar trend in audiences where the percentage of involvement (high or moderate) about artificial intelligence exceeds 50% in countries such as Mexico, Austria, Poland, Germany, Switzerland or India. The reasons behind this high interest have to do with its application internship in different fields or the familiarity with new tools that favor machine learning, programming and specific skills development . 

Undoubtedly, the data that point to the lack of knowledge about artificial intelligence are relevant. Audiences' appreciation varies according to their context and the reasons do not seem to be linked to the absence of technological development . On the contrary, in countries such as Denmark (66%), the Netherlands (59%), Norway (59%), Finland (59%), France (58%) and Japan (58%), nearly 60% of audiences recognize that they have limited information about AI. Therefore, the complexity and rapid development of techniques and tools may be some of the reasons for this perception. 



The comparison between countries sample shows differences in the Degree understanding and closeness of citizens with artificial intelligence. While in some countries the perception is stronger, in others the level of control is limited. There are different factors (social and cultural) that may contribute to this perception. The data breakdown in Spain allows us to appreciate some differences. As is the case in other countries, having a knowledge moderate about artificial intelligence is much more frequent (43%) than owning an high knowledge on the subject (16%). Finally, 30% of those surveyed acknowledge that they have read or listened to little about this new technology and less than 10% do not even know about it.



An analysis of data by sex shows that the percentage of men who acknowledge having heard or read a lot about AI (20%) is significantly higher than that of women (12%). The age distribution shows a moderate knowledge in all age groups. It should be noted that there is greater involvement with AI in the young population (18-34 years). Consequently, when we turn our attention to older age groups, we observe an increase in the level of lack of knowledge. For example, 47% of people over 65 years of age report little or no understanding of the issue. The causes behind this trend may include a lack of technological savvy among older audiences, distrust of platforms or the need for greater digital literacy. 


 
With regard to training and economic resources, we found that as the level of educational and income increases, the knowledge of the audience on IA increases. An essential factor in this distribution has to do with the payment of some tools and the purchasing power for apply for subscriptions. Those with basic Education (47%) and low income (43%) project a greater lack of knowledge of this technology.


 

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