Three out of four Europeans support the use of AI by the police and military

A majority of Europeans support the use of artificial intelligence in police and military operations, according to a new report from IE University in Madrid shared with CNBC.

“European Tech Insights,” which measured the attitudes of more than 3,000 people in Europe, found that 75% support the use of AI technologies such as facial recognition and biometric data by the police and military for surveillance purposes.

The level of support is perhaps surprising, as Europe has some of the strictest data privacy laws in the world. In 2018, the European Union introduced the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR – a framework that governs how organizations store and process user information.

Firms face hefty fines for breaking the rules. A company that violates GDPR rules can be fined up to 4% of annual global revenue, or 20 million euros ($21.7 million), whichever is higher.

“It is not clear that the public has thought about the consequences of this [AI] applications,” Ikhlaq Sidhu, dean of IE University’s School of Science and Technology, told CNBC.

The level of support for the use of AI in public service activities, such as traffic optimization, was very high, according to the report, at 79%.

However, when it comes to sensitive issues, such as parole decisions, most Europeans (64%) oppose the use of AI.

Despite the support of AI in public administration and security issues, people seem to be more concerned about its role in the democratic process.

A report by IE University found that the majority of Europeans (67%) fear AI rigging in elections.

AI can be used as an amplifier of misinformation, some users deliberately try to use false information to destroy the opinions of others. A major concern is that so-called deepfakes, artificial photos, videos or audio clips created using AI could be used to distort the views of politicians or spread other types of misinformation.

Generative AI platforms, such as OpenAI’s Dall-E and Stability AI’s Midjourney, can be used to create images with just a few lines of text information, for example. CNBC has reached out to OpenAI and Zinzo for comment.

“AI and deep fakes are the latest examples of how to lie and lose authenticity,” Sidhu told CNBC. “This trend has been growing since the dawn of the Internet, social media, and AI-driven search algorithms.”

Indeed, some 31% of Europeans think that AI has already influenced their voting decisions, according to the report. It comes as the 2024 US election is fast approaching, with current Vice President Kamala Harris facing off against former President Donald Trump in a runoff scheduled for November 5.

The IE University report also found a generational AI divide in Europe.

Almost a third (34%) of people between the ages of 18 and 34 would trust an AI-powered app to vote for politicians on their behalf. This figure drops to 29% for people aged 35 to 44, and 9% for people aged 65 and over.