The Paradox of Progress: How the World Really Feels About AI

Artificial intelligence has quickly and simultaneously become our most promising ally and most concerning creation. The narrative around AI often swings between utopian promises and dystopian warnings.

But what do people actually believe about AI's impact on their lives, the environment, and the future of fundamental human skills?

I've analysed data for six countries across the United States and Europe to uncover how people here currently feel about AI.

The results reveal a fascinating paradox in our collective relationship with artificial intelligence.

The Method

Using cognitive-AI models from Limbik, we can forecast the share of an audience that finds that a particular statement resonates with their beliefs. These forecasts have proven equivalent to running a survey.

We forecasted the statements on May 1st 2025, across three themes: Environment, Personal Impact, and Basic Skills (Reading, Writing, Math).

• Environment Statement 1: AI is good for the environment
• Environment Statement 2: AI is good for the environment
• Life Impact Statement 1: AI will make my life better
• Life Impact Statement 2: AI will make my life worse
• Skills Statement 1: AI will make basic math, reading, and writing skills more important
• Skills Statement 2: AI will make basic math, reading, and writing skills less important

1. The Environmental Contradiction

One of the most striking findings from the data is how consistently people across all surveyed countries view AI as environmentally harmful. Despite the tech industry's promises of AI-powered sustainability solutions, the public isn't buying it.

In every country surveyed, significantly more people believe "AI is bad for the environment" than those who think it's good. This sentiment peaks in Sweden, where 56.77% of adults resonate with the negative environmental impact statement, compared to just 49.48% who view AI as environmentally beneficial.

This is particularly interesting because Sweden is known both for its environmental consciousness and technological progressiveness. However, even in the United States, where the gap is smallest, the negative perception (52.36%) still outweighs the positive (49.52%).

What explains this environmental scepticism? Perhaps it's the growing awareness of AI's massive energy requirements and carbon footprint. As data centres multiply globally to power our AI revolution, the public seems increasingly concerned about the ecological price we're paying for technological advancement.

The Personal Optimism Paradox

Here's where it gets interesting: despite environmental concerns, most people believe AI will improve their personal lives.

This optimism is most pronounced in the United States, where 54.20% believe the statement “AI will make my life better”, compared to only 47.07% who think it will worsen their lives. Sweden follows closely behind in this optimistic outlook. The UK stands out as the most ambivalent, with nearly identical percentages seeing AI as beneficial and harmful to their personal lives (49.92% vs 50.02%).

This creates a fascinating tension: we collectively recognise AI's potential environmental harms while simultaneously believing it will enhance our individual lives. We're both critics and embracers of the technology.

I will look at patterns across groups here in a future post.

The Skills Renaissance Theory

Perhaps the most unanimous finding across all countries is the firm belief that “AI will make basic math, reading, and writing skills more important”, not less.

This surprised me slightly, as it contradicts the narrative that AI will render fundamental human skills obsolete. For example, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report suggests that math, reading and writing skills will decrease in value. Instead, people across cultures seem to believe that a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence will emphasise human fundamentals more.

Americans hold this belief most strongly, with 60.66% resonating with the statement that “AI will make basic math, reading and writing skills more important”, compared to 41.78% who believe the opposite. This pattern holds across all surveyed countries, with remarkably consistent results.

This finding suggests a sophisticated understanding of how AI might reshape our world: not by replacing human capabilities, but by elevating the importance of uniquely human skills and knowledge.

I also find it interesting in the light of this recent article in The Times (paywall) about how Cambridge undergraduates are turning against AI because of its environmental impact and a hatred of Big Tech rather than its ability to help them pass exams.

Cultural Paradoxes in AI Perception

While the broad patterns are consistent across countries, some notable cultural differences emerge:

• United States: Americans have the most optimistic outlook about AI's benefits and the strongest conviction that basic skills will remain crucial.
• Sweden: Swedish respondents display the highest environmental concern about AI but are also among the most optimistic about its benefits—a particularly stark example of the mixed feelings phenomenon.
• United Kingdom: The British public shows the most balanced (or perhaps divided) view on AI's impact, with almost exactly half seeing it as beneficial and half seeing it as harmful.
• Spain: Uniquely, it shows higher resonance (46.67%) with the idea that AI might make basic skills less important—the closest any country comes to challenging the dominant belief that AI will increase the importance of fundamental skills.
• France: The French are the most sceptical, demonstrating the lowest belief (46.94%) that AI is environmentally beneficial, while a majority (57.86%) also believe that AI will make basic skills more important.

The Better Odds Perspective: Embracing the Contradiction

These findings reveal something profound about our collective relationship with AI: We hold contradictory views about its impact. We're concerned about its environmental effects, yet optimistic about the personal benefits it might bring us. We fear it might disrupt various aspects of society, yet believe it will reinforce the importance of fundamental human capabilities like reading, writing and math.

This complexity suggests we're moving beyond purely positive or negative feelings about emerging AI technologies into a more nuanced understanding of AI's multifaceted impact. We're not uniformly for or against AI—we recognise its promises and perils.

Acknowledging these mixed feelings is crucial. The wisest approach to AI isn't uncritical enthusiasm or instant rejection, but a thoughtful navigation of its contradictions. We can work to mitigate AI's environmental impact while embracing its potential to enhance our lives. We can prepare for disruption while doubling down on fundamental human skills.

The data suggests that we're developing a more sophisticated relationship with technology—one that sees both its shadows and its light. Perhaps this balanced perspective, which holds well across the cultures we’ve examined today, can help us build an AI future that serves humanity's best interests.

What are your thoughts on AI's future impact? Do you share these mixed feelings or lean more strongly in one direction? Share your perspective in the comments below.