A new Harvard study examining AI perception across more than 5,400 Americans reveals notable disparities in recognition, media representation, and confidence.
The survey details how respondents perceived real and fabricated figures, alongside broader industry data on expert quoting and headlines.
According to data released by Harvard researchers on Wednesday, 73% of men said they knew OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. However, when the researchers added names of people who don’t exist to the list, 53% of men said they knew those nonexistent people. A similar trend was seen among women, with 40% claiming to know the same nonexistent names, while Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI and current head of Thinking Machine Labs, was recognized by 38% of women and 53% of men.
The study found that men use AI more often and answer more knowledge questions correctly, but the rate of incorrect answers is the same for both genders. The difference is that women are more likely to admit when they are unsure of an answer, expressing uncertainty on an average of 3,3 questions, compared to 2,3 questions for men.
How inequality is reflected in the media
This difference in self-confidence also seems to be reflected in the media. In a full year of reporting, men were mentioned in headlines more than 14 times more often than women. At the same time, three-quarters of experts asked to comment in the media were men, even though the actual percentage of women in the field of artificial intelligence is around 29%.
What do citizens feel?
When it comes to feelings towards artificial intelligence, both men and women ranked concern at the top of their reactions. However, women appeared more anxious and fearful, while men recorded higher scores on positive emotions, such as curiosity and excitement.
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