Source: Radio New Zealand
Sixty percent of Kiwis use AI weekly, but 68 percent are ‘very or extremely concerned’ about it being used to produce harmful content. File photo. 123rf
Fewer and fewer New Zealanders are feeling positive about the internet, despite many spending hours online per day.
A study by Internet NZ has found that only 72 percent of Kiwis think the positives of the internet outweigh the negatives, despite nearly half spending four or more hours online a day.
InternetNZ chief executive Vivien Maidaborn said that figure had been slowly declining from 90 percent in 2019.
“The concern is potentially increasing because of what’s now being called the ‘enshittification’ of the internet by the big players who are really prioritising profit over user experience.”
Maidaborn said the research showed the increasingly complex relationship people have with the internet.
“Love it or hate it, we’re all using the internet a great deal… it’s become so integral to our day to day. But that doesn’t mean it’s something we enjoy engaging with.”
Attitude towards AI
The research also found kiwis were feeling increasingly confident in using artificial intelligence, but concerned about its potential to produce harmful content.
It found 60 percent of Kiwis used AI weekly, but 68 percent were ‘very or extremely concerned’ about it being used to produce harmful content.
AI could amplify some of the worst parts of the internet, Maidaborn said.
“Scamming phishing, targeting of particular groups with harm. All of those things can happen way faster than human speed with AI.”
The findings reflected the pace at which AI has grown in the past few years, Maidaborn said.
“In a very short time, we’ve gone from most people having a very limited understanding of what AI is and what it can do, to it being in use every day in almost every household.”
AI also brought opportunity, but more policy guidance was needed from the government so that people were not using unregulated tools, Maidaborn said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
