A new survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Google, which explores the attitudes and perceptions of the online community in Nigeria towards Artificial Intelligence (AI), has indicated that 70% of survey participants reported having used generative AI in the past year.
The study, “Our Life with AI: From Innovation to Application,” surveyed 21,000 people across 21 countries. For Nigeria, a sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ who reside in the country were interviewed online. According to Ipso, the survey has a credibility interval of +/-3.8 percentage points.
It found that global AI usage has jumped to 48% and excitement about its potential now exceeds concerns (57% vs. 43%, up from 50% / 50% last year). In Nigeria, AI adoption and enthusiasm are even higher. 70% of the online population have used generative AI, surpassing the 48% global average.
Generative AI usage varies and goes beyond experimenting with the technology: Nigerians are using it not only to entertain but to support their work, personal projects, and education. Moreover, 87% of respondents are excited about AI’s potential and see its benefits outweighing the risks
These highlight the strong belief within the Nigerian online population that AI can play a transformative role in different areas of life, particularly in the economy and the healthcare sector.
“AI is starting to deliver magic at scale, making people’s lives easier and better,” said Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs, Google & Alphabet. “Today’s survey results show the more people use these tools, the more excited they get about the possibilities and about the personal, professional, and scientific breakthroughs on the way.”
The survey results indicate that optimism about AI is growing within the surveyed online community in Nigeria. Key findings include:
- Societal Impact: Furthermore, 90% of the survey respondents in Nigeria anticipate AI having a positive impact on science and medicine, demonstrating the widespread belief in the potential of AI to drive progress in these sectors.
- Generative AI Use: Among survey participants in Nigeria, 70% reported using generative AI in the past year, which is significantly higher than the global average of 48%.
- Positive Outlook: A substantial 87% of Nigerian respondents feel that AI’s potential benefits outweigh the associated risks, suggesting a strong belief in the positive impact of AI.
- Economic Impact: A significant 81% of surveyed Nigerian adults believe AI will positively change the economy.
Read also: Lenovo leads as global PC sales grew by 1.8% in Q4 2024
Nigerians are very optimistic about AI
According to the report, Nigeria is in line with most global markets where excitement about AI’s potential outweighs concerns about the risks (87% excited/13% concerned). Nigerians who have used AI are even more excited (91%) than concerned (9%).
It is also clear that the public wants to ensure AI regulations help foster groundbreaking innovations in science and medicine with AI regulation.
Nigerians believe AI will change jobs and industries in the next 5 years and believe that change will be a good thing (85%), compared to 8% who do not. Eight in ten Nigerians believe AI will change the economy in a positive way (81%).
Similarly, about one in ten workers who believe they will be impacted by AI think they will have to find a new role or industry as a result of AI (9%), lower than the global average of 16%).
While excitement about AI and positive perceptions of AI’s economic impact are both on the rise globally, countries with higher overall excitement about AI’s potential tend to also expect
the most positive economic gains from the technology. Nigerians are more excited about AI compared to the global average (87%, compared to 57%) and expect more positive gains from AI (81%, compared to 49%) than their counterparts around the world.
Looking ahead, the report concludes that 9 out of 10 Nigerians expect AI to have a positive
impact on science (93% positive impact) and education (90%), leading a list of promising applications including medicine (86%) and agriculture (87%).
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