How the Chinese Public View AI
Tuesday February 2
10:00-13:00 GMT (18:00-21:00 CST)
Platform & Language: Zoom (English)
Programme
10:00-13:00 Introductions
Xinyuan Tian, Program Coordinator, Berggruen Institute China Center
Kanta Dihal, Senior Research Fellow and Global AI Narratives Project Lead, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge
10:10-10:50 Speaker Session 1 (20 min talks)
The Influence of Media Use on Public Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in China: Evidence from an Online Survey
Di Cui, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism, Fudan University
Fang Wu, Associate Professor, School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
“Scary Robots”: Examining Public Responses to AI
Kanta Dihal, Senior Research Fellow and Global AI Narratives Project Lead, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge
10:50-11:20 Session 1 Q&A
11:20-11:30 Break
11:30-12:10 Speaker Session 2 (20 min talks)
Contested Chinese Dreams of AI? Public discourse about Artificial Intelligence on WeChat and People’s Daily Online
Jing Zeng, Senior Research and Teaching Associate, Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
Online Public Discourse on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Ethics in China: Context, Content, and Implications
Yishu Mao, Pre-doctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
12:10-12:30 Session 2 Q&A
12:30-12:00 Discussion
Discussion points:
1. How does the Chinese public understand artificial intelligence?
2. What are the most popular AI narratives in contemporary China?
3. Is there an equivalence of The Terminator when Chinese people think of AI?
4. How do the media, industry, and government influence the Chinese public's perception of AI?
5. How do history and philosophy meaningfully shape contemporary perceptions of AI in China?
Abstracts & Bios
Di Cui & Fang Wu
Topic
The Influence of Media Use on Public Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in China: Evidence from an Online Survey
Abstract
With support from government and business, artificial intelligence is growing quickly in China. However, little is known of how media use shapes the Chinese public’s perception of artificial intelligence. Based on a national online survey (N =738), this pilot study explored the linkages between media use and people’s risk perception, benefit perception, and policy support of artificial intelligence. Results showed that respondents perceive artificial intelligence as more beneficial than risky. Newspaper use was negatively associated with benefit perception and policy support, whereas television and WeChat use positively predicted both. Analyses of interaction effects showed that personal relevance could partly mitigate the influence of media use.
Bios
Di Cui is an assistant professor at the School of Journalism in Fudan University. He got his PhD degree at the School of Journalism and Communication in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include journalism and political communication in the digital transformation of China.
Fang Wu is an associate professor at School of Media and Communication in Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She received her PhD degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her recent studies consider the implications of new communication technologies for public communication and youth culture.
Kanta Dihal
Topic
“Scary Robots”: Examining Public Responses to AI
Abstract
How AI is perceived by the public can have significant impact on how it is developed, deployed and regulated. Some commentators argue that perceptions are currently distorted or extreme. This paper discusses the results of a nationally representative survey of the UK population on their perceptions of AI. The survey solicited responses to eight common narratives about AI (four optimistic, four pessimistic), plus views on what AI is, how likely it is to impact in respondents’ lifetimes, and whether they can influence it. 42% of respondents offered a plausible definition of AI, while 25% thought it meant robots. Of the narratives presented, those associated with automation were best known, followed by the idea that AI would become more powerful than humans. Overall results showed that the most common visions of the impact of AI elicit significant anxiety. Only two of the eight narratives elicited more excitement than concern (AI making life easier, and extending life). Respondents felt they had no control over AI’s development, citing the power of corporations or government, or versions of technological determinism. Negotiating the deployment of AI will require contending with these anxieties.
Bio
Dr. Kanta Dihal is a Senior Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge. She leads two research projects, Global AI Narratives and Decolonizing AI. Her research focuses on the portrayals and perceptions of intelligent machines across cultures, and how they help us think about ethics and bias in new technologies. She has a PhD in science communication from the University of Oxford, and is co-editor of the book AI Narratives (2020).
Jing Zeng
Topic
Contested Chinese Dreams of AI? Public Discourse about Artificial Intelligence on WeChat and People’s Daily Online
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a prominent public issue, particularly in China, where the government has announced plans to turn the country into a global AI power. This study analyses public discourse about AI in China through the conceptual lens of public spheres theory and counter-public spheres. It compares the official AI narrative on People’s Daily Online with public discussion about AI on the social medium WeChat, where we assumed that official views would be challenged. Using a combination of qualitative and computational methods, 140,000 AI-related articles published between 2015 and 2018 were studied. Findings reveal that AI-related discourse on WeChat is surprisingly similar to that on People’s Daily Online. That is, it is dominated by industry and political actors, such as government agencies and technology companies, and is mostly characterized by discussions about the economic potential of the technology, with strongly positive evaluations, and little critical debate.
Bio
Dr. Jing Zeng is a senior research and teaching associate at the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland. She received her PhD in Media and Communication from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and her MSc from Oxford University. Jing’s research interests include science communication, internet studies, and computational methods. Her works have been published in numerous top-ranked (Q1) international journals. Partnering with the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin, Jing is a key investigator in an international project that researches AI imaginaries in Europe, the US, and China. This 3-year project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Yishu Mao
Topic
Online Public Discourse on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Ethics in China: Context, Content, and Implications
Abstract
The societal and ethical implications of AI have garnered increasing attention and sparked debates among academics, policymakers and the general public around the world. What so far has gone unnoticed, is the likewise vibrant discussions in China, particularly on the internet. We analyzed a large sample of these discussions concerning AI ethics on two popular Chinese social media platforms using content analysis methods. Findings suggest that the participants of the discussions were diverse, mainly including scholars, IT industry practitioners, journalists but also the general public. They addressed a broad range of ethical issues that arise with the applications of AI in various fields. Some even gave recommendations on how to tackle these issues. These discussions shared broad coherence with global narratives in terms of themes, but demonstrated notable differences in terms of emphasis and framing. We argue that online discourse offers valuable ground to understand future trajectory of AI governance in China as well as contextualize the Chinese societal perspectives on AI within the global discourse.
Bio
Yishu Mao is a pre-doctoral fellow of Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. As a member of the research group “China in the Global System of Science,” her research focuses on the interactions of scientific standards and practices with societal values and ethical principles in China’s quest for AI. Yishu has previously worked as an analyst for China’s digital policies, society and media at Mercator Institute for China Studies. She holds an MA in global studies, a BA in literature and digital humanities, and has studied in Germany, India, Argentina, the US and China.