Before the GenAI explosion took off with ChatGPT in 2018, Google brains Sundar Pichai foresaw AI outclassing “electricity or fire.” Not long ago, Nvidia boss Jensen Huang crowned AI “tech’s MVP.”
Time will tell if AI gives society a new high or sparks a crisis. Going by Endava’s stats, UK business moguls are banking on the former.
A fresh study by London’s Endava, clocking in feedback from 500 entrepreneurs, reveals that two-thirds think AI is as crucial as water and electricity in the social sphere.
“Many not only have AI on speed dial for critical business moves but also for personal life choices,” he said. “Still, folks want the rulebook set straight before AI fully embeds into society.”
An astounding 93% are banging the drum for swift AI adoption by industry and government. Furthermore, 84% reckon they shoot the breeze with AI as a “companion” monthly, with two-thirds trusting AI to take the reins on their life choices.
No water? You’d kick the bucket in about five days. No electricity? Society would crash down. But imagine a world without AI? British business big shots are saying it’d be just as disastrous.
This news lands at a time of fat stacks pouring into AI — sparking a hype storm — as the tech creeps into every nook and cranny of our lives. The big guns are calling AI crucial infrastructure.
But not all tech heads are singing the same tune. Geoffrey Hinton, crowned the “AI bigwig,” gave a heads-up there’s a 10-20% chance AI could hit the switch on humanity in the next 30 years. Stephen Hawking, a couple years before bidding adieu, hinted that smart machines could be society’s “savior or worst nightmare.” Even Elon Musk’s called AI an “existential threat.”
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Yet, nearly all in the mix (96%) reckon that global AI spread needs a watchful eye from a worldwide watchdog, led by governments, says 94% of them. At the same time, over half (55%) are waving a red flag about infrastructure limitations sapping AI‘s mojo.
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Endava’s CTO, Matt Cloke, calls the results a “cracker,” noting the tricky balance between AI trust and the call for a safety net.
