Italy fails in understanding AI: second to last in the ranking of 30 countries, only Japan does worse

As far as understanding artificial intelligence is concerned, Italy faces an obvious cultural and information gap compared to other countries. All this emerges from the FragilItalia report 'Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Technology', carried out by Area Studi Legacoop and Ipsos on the basis of a sample survey carried out on a panel of 23,216 people under 75 years of age from 30 countries on five continents, interviewed from 21 March to 5 April this year.

It emerged from these interviews that in this respect, Italy is in penultimate place (fifteenth) with 50% of the people consulted, and thus one in two (800 cases of 18 years and over) who said they had "a good understanding of what artificial intelligence is" (worse than her is only Japan, with 41%). Italy has 17 percentage points less than the global average (67%). On the other hand, in the top three places we find Indonesia (91 per cent of those consulted said they had a good understanding of what artificial intelligence is), Thailand (79 per cent) and South Africa (77 per cent), while if we remain in the EU we find Spain is at 66 per cent, Germany and France are both at 59 per cent. In the ranking of the thirty countries, Italy is fifteenth; Spain is tenth; Germany and France are thirteenth. The United Kingdom with 64 per cent is twelfth.

"A twofold scenario is clearly emerging,' observes Simone Gamberini, president of Legacoop. 'On the one hand, Italy is undergoing a profound transformation linked to technological evolution, which has already radically changed daily habits, work, and above all access to information; on the other, there remains a significant cultural and informational lag towards artificial intelligence, compared to other countries.

Italy fares better, in relative terms, in terms of knowledge of products and services that use artificial intelligence, the prerogative of 46% of Italians, who are in the middle of the ranking, with a difference of only six points from the average (52%), and for the conviction that these products and services present more advantages than disadvantages, expressed by 53% of Italians, with only three points of difference from the global average (56%). The percentage of those who say they are enthusiastic about products and services that use AI is slightly higher (49%, 3 points lower than the average) than those who perceive them as a source of anxiety (44%, 9 points lower than the average).

When asked which emerging technologies will have the greatest impact in the coming years, Italians have no doubts: artificial intelligence is in first place (75%, and 81% among university graduates). They are followed, at a considerable distance, by robotics and automation (39%, and 46% among the over 64s and the working class), renewable energy and sustainable technologies (38%, and 44% in the North West), and biotechnology and genetic engineering (31%). But this transformation is not seen only in a positive light. On the contrary, rather pessimistic visions prevail: according to many Italians, new technologies will lead to increased dependence, compromised privacy and a profound change in the world of work. The spectre of technological unemployment and the erosion of the personal sphere are perceived as real risks. At the top of the list of concerns are increased dependence on technology (40%, but 50% in Central Italy), compromised privacy (33%; 40% among women and in the North East), radical transformations in the way of working (30%), loss of jobs and increased unemployment (23%; 34% in the working class), and the concentration of power in the hands of the few and the rich (22%).