Our New National Poll on Ethical Data Use In The Age of AI

The Ethical Tech Project teamed up with Ketch to commission a new, unique survey demonstrating how consumers support ethical data practices in the Age of AI

Data privacy isn’t just ethical, it’s profitable. A first-of-its-kind study showed consumers place a high value on ethical privacy and see choice and control over their data as a fundamental right.

After our posts about the importance of ethical data practices, we are excited to announce that we’re bringing our own data to the conversation! We partnered with Ketch, Trust By Design Platform, and Slingshot Strategies to conduct a new national poll looking at US consumers' awareness and usage of AI amongst consumers, their expectations about data privacy, and the business value of featuring ethical data use as a consumer choice.

That feeling when a new privacy poll drops

This survey comes at a crucial moment as the AI industry is set to explode to an estimated $1.3T over the next 10 years. As AI shapes everyday life, companies building the technology need to listen to consumer demand for privacy and data dignity. 

To answer the big question ethical question we laid out in our last post: Will consumers reward ethical data use in the age of AI? The answer is… yes!  

• Most consumers (75%) would go back to a time when companies didn’t have so much of their personal data; 

• Most (90%) think companies should give them choice and control over their data;

• Consumers overwhelmingly agree businesses should adopt ethical data practices;

(and that’s largely because consumers also don't know who to trust to make responsible choices around implementing AI!)  

• Giving consumers the ability to revoke data access at any time lifted purchase intent by 22% above baseline; 

• That same ability also lifted brand trustworthiness by 23%; and 

• To drive the most purchase intent, consumers think businesses should add agency (data choice and control) and privacy (data retention) features.  

As Tom Chavez, the Founder and Chair of the Ethical Tech Project, said, “Business leaders need to prioritize the ethical use of data as a competitive priority, particularly as AI changes their day-to-day operations. Instead of leaders prognosticating whether consumers care about these issues or not, the genie is out of the bottle: data privacy in the era of AI is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have.” 

Want to hear about the results in person?

Join us at our exclusive launch reception (alongside Ketch, who co-sponsored the study) at La Bande in San Francisco on October 19th. Are you based in SF? You can click here to request your spot. (Can’t make it? NYC and Boston events are also on the agenda for this November).

What’s next?

The next few weeks, we’ll be diving into the data, sharing how US consumers feel, and exploring how they align with all 5 principles. 

Tell us your thoughts!

What questions do you have about public opinion of data privacy that you’d like us to address in our next posts?

What We’re Reading On Ethical (and Non-Ethical) Tech This Week:

• Snapchat's AI chatbot may pose privacy risk to children, says UK watchdog - Reuters

• The Government Can ‘Get It Right’ on AI - Politico

• 23andMe says it's confirming suspected leak of sensitive user data - Axios