Cisco survey: increased knowledge of privacy laws leads to more trust in AI
70% of people believe privacy laws have a positive impact
AI has a trust problem: on the enterprise side, while most have already shown that they are ready and willing to adopt AI agents, over half also said they trust concerns about data privacy. On the consumer side, there's a significant trust gap when it comes to AI, with the vast majority of people say they want AI to be developed with care, and they want AI to be presented with clarity and transparency.
On Wednesday, Cisco released its 2024 Consumer Privacy Survey, an annual global review of consumer perception and behavior regarding data privacy, showing that one way to enhance consumer confidence in AI is to increase awareness of privacy laws.
The double-blind study, based on a survey of over 2,600 consumers in 12 countries, showed that 53% of respondents are aware of their national privacy laws, a 17-percentage point increase compared to the same question in 2019. And that has a big impact on their perceptions of safety for their own data.
Of those not aware of their country's privacy laws, 56% said they are not able to protect their data, compared to 44% who said they can; for those who are aware, 81% said they can protect their data, compared to 19% who said they cannot. 
This kind of information can also affect businesses, as 75% said they will not purchase from organizations they don't trust with their data; this is especially pronounced among younger people, as 49% of consumers aged 25 to 34 said they have switched companies or providers over their data policies or data-sharing practices. Only 18% of those aged 75 and older said the same.
The majority of those surveyed, 70%, believe that privacy laws have a positive impact, with only 5% saying they have a negative impact, and 77% support similar rules across countries and regions to ensure baseline privacy protections. In the US, 81% of respondents favor a US Federal Privacy law.
Meanwhile, when broken down by age, 64% of the younger cohort said they are aware of their privacy rights, compared to 33% of those aged 65 and older. As a result, 46% of those younger consumers have exercised their right to access, correct, delete or transfer their personal data via Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs), while the same can be said of 16% of those aged 65.
When it comes to Generative AI (GenAI), 23% of respondents using it regularly, up from 12% last year. However, 44% of surveyed consumers remain unaware of GenAI.
While 63% believe AI can be useful in improving their lives, 84% of GenAI users expressed concern about their data going public. Still, 30% of say they enter personal or confidential information, including financial and health details into GenAI tools.
"Our survey highlights the importance of privacy awareness in building consumer trust in brands and AI technologies," Harvey Jang, Cisco Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer, said in a statement.
"Nearly 60% of consumers aware of privacy laws are comfortable using AI. Broadening awareness and educating consumers about their privacy rights will empower them to make informed decisions and foster greater trust in emerging technologies."
(Image source: sanity.io)
