Charting the AI Perception Gap: Across 71 scenarios, AI experts (N=119) and the public (N=1100) have differing views on the risks, benefits, and value of AI. More importantly, AI experts discount the influence of risks stronger than the public does when forming their value judgments [R]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping society, raising questions about trust, risks, and the asymmetries between public and academic perspectives. We examine how the German public (N = 1,110), comprising individuals who interact with or are affected by AI, and academic AI experts (N = 119, mainly from Germany), who contribute to research, educate practitioners, and inform policymaking, construct mental models of AI’s capabilities and impacts across 71 scenarios.