Americans still want AI despite heightened scam fears: study

Americans still welcome AI despite growing scam fears as bad actors take advantage of the tech to dupe people, according to a survey. This comes as almost half of Americans revealed that AI technology has made them “less scam-savvy” according to a survey by Talker Research.

As AI tools systems continue to improve, they are also becoming sophisticated making it difficult for ordinary individuals to distinguish between real and AI-made stuff, exposing them to risks of being scammed.

Americans show mixed feelings toward AI

The survey, commissioned by Boss Revolution also wanted to ascertain how Americans feel about AI technology. They showed mixed reactions indicating that the technology has its pros and cons.

Of the 2,000 US adults surveyed, 48% revealed the rise in AI made them less “scam savvy,” and only 18% were confident they could detect a scam before falling victim to it. One in three also indicated they would be unable to identify a scam especially if it involved impersonating someone familiar.

The survey also revealed that over the years, about 34% of respondents have been scammed while a significant number has fallen victim to scams over five years ago before the AI tech ballooned.

According to the New York Post, Americans have the right to be anxious about AI scams now that AI tools are more sophisticated and can impersonate people, creating convincing but fake news, and texts from familiar numbers. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) has earlier revealed that identity thieves are improving at looking and sounding like someone else.

For others, the scams have been recent, according to the survey results showing 40% of respondents have fallen victim in the past year while 8% as recently as a month ago.

“As AI technology advances, so do the tactics of scammers who exploit it. Consumers must stay vigilant.”

Jessica Poverene, executive VP of marketing at Boss Revolution.

Poverene also called on consumers to verify the contact information and identities of anyone before carrying out transactions.

“In cases of uncertainty, we also advise users to call the requester using a trusted number to confirm their identity,” added Poverene.

Other Americans still see a ray of hope in AI

Despite the increase in various scandals orchestrated via AI, and other AI-inspired scams, some residents believe in the technology’s transformative abilities.

At least 69% of the surveyed Americans believe AI has a huge contribution to overall financial scams, while 25% believe the tech can have a positive impact on their financial safety.

According to the survey results, four out of 10 participants showed a positive view of AI and indicated they would still use it for tasks like language translations, writing texts and emails, or choosing recipes to cook.

With AI systems increasingly becoming a part of everyday lives, Boss Revolution highlighted the need for people to be extra vigilant to limit chances of falling victim to scams.

“It’s important to employ advanced algorithms and strict verification processes such as AI anomaly detection, real-time monitoring, and multi-layered authentication to detect and prevent fraudulent activities to ensure that transactions remain secure,” said Poverene.

Outside financial scams, there has been an increase in AI job scams. The ITRC revealed that reports of job scams were on an increase, rising by 118% in 2023.

According to a Fox Business article, scammers create profiles on platforms like LinkedIn and job sites, looking professional and impersonating real businesses using fake names to book job seekers for interviews.

The report further reveals job seekers usually do not get suspicious until the supposed head-hunter goes quiet or ask for identity particulars or log-in details.