# Long-Term Trends in the Public Perception of Artificial Intelligence

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.04904 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.04904/

## Key facts

- Cited by 22 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 16 Sep 2016.

## Built on by (most cited first, 22 of 22)

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- [AI on AI: Exploring the Utility of GPT as an Expert Annotator of AI Publications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.09097/) (2024)
- [Surveys Considered Harmful? Reflecting on the Use of Surveys in AI Research, Development, and Governance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.01458/) (2024)
- [Mapping Public Perception of Artificial Intelligence: Expectations, Risk-Benefit Tradeoffs, and Value As Determinants for Societal Acceptance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.19356/) (2024)
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- [Making AI Inevitable: Historical Perspective and the Problems of Predicting Long-Term Technological Change](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.16692/) (2025)
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- [Artificial Intelligence in Brazilian News: A Mixed-Methods Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.17423/) (2024)
- [Perception Gaps in Risk, Benefit, and Value Between Experts and Public Challenge Socially Accepted AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.01459/) (2024)
- [Cultural Dimensions of AI Perception: Charting Expectations, Risks, Benefits, Tradeoffs, and Value in Germany and China](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.13841/) (2024)
- [Trust, Experience, and Innovation: Key Factors Shaping American Attitudes About AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.05815/) (2025)
- [AI Ethics and Social Norms: Exploring ChatGPT's Capabilities From What to How](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.18044/) (2025)
- [Developing and Validating the Arabic Version of the Attitudes Toward Large Language Models Scale](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.13009/) (2025)
- [Whose Voice Counts? Mapping Stakeholder Perspectives on AI Through Public Submissions to the U.S. Government](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.22650/) (2026)
- [Method, Mind, and Morality: How People Make Sense of Artificial Intelligence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.24748/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Analyses of text corpora over time can reveal trends in beliefs, interest, and sentiment about a topic. We focus on views expressed about artificial intelligence (AI) in the New York Times over a 30-year period. General interest, awareness, and discussion about AI has waxed and waned since the field was founded in 1956. We present a set of measures that captures levels of engagement, measures of pessimism and optimism, the prevalence of specific hopes and concerns, and topics that are linked to discussions about AI over decades. We find that discussion of AI has increased sharply since 2009, and that these discussions have been consistently more optimistic than pessimistic. However, when we examine specific concerns, we find that worries of loss of control of AI, ethical concerns for AI, and the negative impact of AI on work have grown in recent years. We also find that hopes for AI in healthcare and education have increased over time.