The research conducted by Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business in the US revealed a striking disparity in the sentiment toward AI between liberal-leaning and conservative media outlets. The study found that articles from liberal-leaning media tend to exhibit a more negative attitude toward AI compared to those from conservative media.
One prominent reason for this divide, according to the study's findings, is that liberal-leaning media express deeper concerns about AI's potential to exacerbate social biases prevalent in society. Issues such as racial, gender, and income disparities amplified by AI seem to be more prominent in the concerns expressed by liberal-leaning outlets compared to their conservative counterparts.
Understanding the differing reactions to AI becomes crucial as AI's influence continues to expand. The authors of the study, Angela Yi, Shreyans Goenka, and Mario Pandelaere from Virginia Tech, delved into the varied responses to AI by analyzing the sentiment in partisan media coverage. Their work was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
The study also investigated how media sentiment toward AI evolved following George Floyd's tragic death. Yi noted that Floyd's death ignited national discussions on social biases, subsequently intensifying concerns about bias in media discussions around AI.
The researchers compiled a range of articles on AI from various media outlets, encompassing both liberal-leaning (such as The New York Times and The Washington Post) and conservative-leaning sources (such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post).
Goenka emphasized that their research aims to describe rather than prescribe, highlighting the existence of these sentiment differences in media coverage without taking a stance on the ideal approach to discussing AI.
He stated, "We are just showing that these differences exist in the media sentiment and that these differences are important to quantify, see, and understand."
According to Goenka and Yi, recognizing these disparities in media sentiment holds significance for future political dialogues and discussions concerning AI.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | Report Says Misinformation Super-Spreaders on Platform X Sharing Ad Revenue
