Should businesses disclose their use of AI? Most Americans say yes

Businesses of all sizes are integrating artificial intelligence into their systems to varying degrees as more companies embrace the rapidly-evolving technology. 

However, as privacy concerns over such tools continue to swirl, a new survey indicates most American consumers want to be able to find out if a company is using AI – and how.

A report released by Zetwerk earlier this month found 68% of consumers believe companies should voluntarily disclose their use of AI, and 59% said businesses should be legally mandated to do so by the government.

“People are becoming cautious about how trustworthy interacting with artificial intelligence on behalf of a business can be, understanding that AI is not perfect,” Stephanie Martinez of Zetwerk’s creative team told FOX Business. “Consumers have also raised flags about how their data and privacy are impacted by the use of AI.”

The survey broke down which industries consumers are most – and least – comfortable using AI.

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Out of the 813 Americans polled, the top industry respondents said they believe they should be forced to disclose AI uses in health care, at 69%. More than half (56%) said AI should be disclosed in workplace health and safety monitoring, and 52% said financial services firms should disclose their use of the technology.

Respondents cited health care as the top industry that should be required to disclose their use of AI. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Half of those surveyed said it should be disclosed if a company is using AI for marketing, and 43% said companies that use AI chatbot or virtual assistants should disclose the use of such tools.

Zetwerk also surveyed business-to-business managers in its study and found sharp divides along political lines on the issue.

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Forty-seven percent of Republican managers told surveyors they believe companies should voluntarily disclose all their AI use, but only 16% of the GOPers believe it should be legally mandated.

However, of managers who identified as Democrats, around 60% said companies should both voluntarily and legally disclose their AI use.

More than 70% of the managers surveyed said their businesses have integrated AI into their systems. (iStock / iStock)

All told, 71% of the businesses surveyed said they have integrated AI into their operations. Roughly one-third of large companies said they always fully disclose their AI use, while 3 in 5 small businesses said they rarely or never disclose their AI use to partners or clients.

“Here’s what we know: AI is important, and transparency is important,” Martinez said.

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“It’s essential for businesses to prioritize transparency and ethical AI strategies while navigating the evolving landscape of AI adoption,” she added. “While AI is becoming integral, maintaining credibility hinges on striking a cohesive balance between innovation and integrity in business practices.”