One In Two Indians Aware Of GenAI Ends Up Using It: Report

As per a research by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, which was conducted on 21,000 consumers across 21 countries on AI awareness, usage and sentiment, 80 per cent of consumers are aware of GenAI.

One in two Indians aware of GenAI (ChatGPT), ends up utilising it, with India showcasing a 1.6 times higher awareness-to-usage conversion ratio compared to the average of other countries, a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said on Friday. Notably, Indians demonstrated a more sophisticated usage of GenAI, as compared to countries like Australia, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

According to a new research by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, which was conducted on 21,000 consumers across 21 countries on artificial intelligence (AI) awareness, usage and sentiment, 80 per cent of consumers are aware of GenAI and of those, nearly one-fourth have used the technology at least once. 

The report, published in an article titled "Consumers Know More About AI than Business Leaders Think", is based on a survey conducted by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight to measure the level of awareness of AI and generative AI (GenAI), as well as usage and sentiment among 21,000 respondents from 21 countries across six continents. It also explored questions relevant to the use of AI in the workplace.

“1 in every 2 Indians who are aware of Gen AI (ChatGPT), end up using it, and this awareness-to-usage conversion ratio is 1.6 times higher for India than the average of all the other 20 countries surveyed. Interestingly, Indians exhibit more mature usage of Gen AI with 'Research & assistance at workplace' being among the top activities performed using Gen AI, versus ‘just for fun' being among the top stated activities in countries like Australia, Germany, Japan, South Korea” Nivedita Balaji, Associate Director, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), said in a statement.

Thirty-two per cent of consumers under the age of 35 have used GenAI, compared against 20 per cent of those 35 and above years in age. 

Moreover, the report revealed that feelings about AI are polarised across countries surveyed, with China, Indonesia and Brazil emerging as hotbeds of excitement. Consumers in France, Australia and the UK, on the other hand, had the most concern about GenAI.

“While perception and usage vary by market, age, and exposure, consumers around the world have a deeper appreciation of AI than we give them credit for,” said Aparna Bharadwaj, global leader of BCG’s Global Advantage practice, former leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight and a co-author of the study.

“These survey findings should be a wake-up call for business leaders, underscoring the need for responsible AI to inform everything they do. If consumers and employees have concerns around data privacy and the ethical use of GenAI, they will not embrace the technology.” 

Consumers exhibited a nuanced understanding of AI and its positive and negative aspects. While excitement about AI is prevalent, a notable portion of consumers surveyed display an insightful awareness of its potential downsides if not implemented responsibly. About 40 per cent of consumers indicated that they are excited about the various uses of AI, while 28 per cent reported that they feel conflicted.

Consumers also voiced outright concerns about AI, with 33 per cent worried about data security and the ethical use of AI, and 30 per cent worried about the possibility of AI replacing workers in certain jobs. Ten per cent of consumers expressed concern about the environmental impact of GenAI.