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\nSixty percent of Kiwis use AI weekly, but 68 percent are ‘very or extremely concerned’ about it being used to produce harmful content. File photo.
\nPhoto: 123rf\n<\/p>\n
Fewer and fewer New Zealanders are feeling positive about the internet, despite many spending hours online per day.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
InternetNZ chief executive Vivien Maidaborn said that figure had been slowly declining from 90 percent in 2019.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Maidaborn said the research showed the increasingly complex relationship people have with the internet.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Attitude towards AI<\/p>\n
The research also found kiwis were feeling increasingly confident in using artificial intelligence, but concerned about its potential to produce harmful content.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
AI could amplify some of the worst parts of the internet, Maidaborn said.<\/p>\n
“Scamming phishing, targeting of particular groups with harm. All of those things can happen way faster than human speed with AI.”<\/p>\n
The findings reflected the pace at which AI has grown in the past few years, Maidaborn said.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
AI also brought opportunity, but more policy guidance was needed from the government so that people were not using unregulated tools, Maidaborn said.<\/p>\n