Alec Tyson is an associate director of research at Pew Research Center, where he studies public views of science and technology and the implications of science for society. He is an expert in U.S. survey research and has written about American public opinion on a range of topics, including U.S. generations, the growing role of partisanship in American life, climate change, the environment, and trust in scientists. Alec regularly presents findings from the Center’s studies to various groups in the academic, diplomatic and policy sectors and is a frequently quoted expert in national media. He is an active member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research.
There is significant discomfort among Americans with the idea of AI being used in their own health care. Yet many see promise for AI to help issues of bias in medical care.
Many Americans are aware of common ways they might encounter AI in daily life, though fewer are able to correctly identify each of the six common uses of AI in the survey. More broadly, the public remains more concerned than excited about the increasing use of AI in daily life.
Large majorities value government investments in science and consider it important for the United States to be a world leader in scientific achievement, but few think the country is gaining ground globally.
Overall, 46% of Americans say the statement “public health officials were unprepared for the outbreak” describes their views extremely or very well, including similar shares of Republicans and Democrats.
Americans offer a lackluster evaluation of how the country has balanced priorities during the coronavirus outbreak. Fewer than half say the country has given the right amount of priority to the needs of K-12 students, public health or quality of life.
