Survey: Americans Underestimate Public Opposition to AI Data Centers, Especially Among Republicans and Independents

The construction of AI data centers has rapidly become a major issue in communities across the country–and a delicate topic for politicians and parties ahead of the midterm elections.

It may become vexing for many, especially Republican leaders, who are caught between a President proclaiming unqualified support for the physical infrastructure needed by advanced AI and often boisterous, bipartisan opposition in home districts.

Despite the attention the issue is receiving, a new study by the Center for Media Innovation & Social Impact (MISI) and the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication, conducted by Ipsos, actually finds that Americans underestimate opposition to data centers within every political group. Public perception of Republicans’ and Independents’ views on the issue are especially out of step with where they actually stand: just 21% believe Republicans oppose data center construction, though 37% actually do. Only 28% believe the same of Independents, though the true figure is 56%.

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Survey: Americans skeptical of benefits from Paramount takeover of Warner Bros

Americans are skeptical that the proposed purchase of Warner Bros.-Discovery by Paramount Skydance would benefit them, according to the latest Media & Technology Survey from the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication.

The $110 billion acquisition was approved in June by the U.S. Department of Justice but put on hold by Paramount citing a lawsuit brought by 12 state attorneys general.

Critics argue that such a merger, bringing together two major movie studios, CBS, CNN and HBO under one roof, would harm consumers and people who work in the industry – and the survey suggests a majority of Americans share these worries.

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Survey: Americans closely following news of ICE operations – and many moved to act

Americans are closely following news of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Minnesota and other cities across the country – and many want to take action against companies supporting it, according to a new opinion survey out today.

Two out of three respondents to the latest Media & Technology Survey from the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication agreed or strongly agreed that they pay close attention to news and social media about ICE operations.

Of those paying close attention, just more than half (51%) say they would support calls to boycott companies that support ICE operations.

“The fact that people are paying close attention to news about ICE operations indicates an underlying interest and curiosity about these operations,” said Arunima Krishna, co-author of the survey and associate professor of public relations at Boston University College of Communication.

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Survey: Despite Skepticism, People Sticking with Dating Apps

By Burt Glass

Reports of the death of dating apps, as Mark Twain might say, are greatly exaggerated.

That’s one finding of the latest Media & Technology Survey, out today, from the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication.

Last year, media outlets reported major dating platforms, such as Bumble and Tinder, saw big declines in users. But the Boston University survey suggests a slight uptick in both current dating app users and the number of people who have ever used a dating app.

Thirteen percent of respondents said they currently use a dating app, compared with 9% in last year’s survey. Thirty-three percent said they have used a dating app at some point, more than last year (28%).

Similarly, nearly half of respondents (49%) agreed or strongly agreed that people can find their soulmate on a dating app, up from last year (42%). Only 13% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

“Despite some skepticism, dating apps are ultimately too easy to abandon,” said Kathryn Coduto, assistant professor at Boston University College of Communication and designer of the survey. “Users might not be logging in everyday, but the convenience of the dating pool in your pocket makes it too tempting to completely stop using them.

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Survey: Falling Confidence that American Businesses will Help Stop Climate Change

By Burt Glass

Americans’ understanding of the problem of climate change hasn’t changed, but their faith in corporations’ promises to address the issue is falling, according to a new opinion survey.

In the latest Media & Technology Survey from Boston University’s College of Communication and IPSOS, 61% of Americans expressed the belief that climate change is predominantly being caused by human activities. This was only slightly less, and not statistically significantly different from the 64% who expressed that belief in a Boston University survey conducted in November 2022.

The responses are consistent with other recent polling showing steady understanding of, and concern about, climate.

But over the same time, the survey suggests that Americans’ confidence that large companies will work to address the issue slipped substantially. In 2022, 60% of respondents believed that “corporate initiatives to address climate change will make a difference,” but now only 48% believe that – a statistically significant decline. Also, 57% of respondents agree with the statement that “corporate promises to address climate change are mostly empty promises,” while only 9% disagreed, revealing a major credibility gap for companies.

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Survey: Large, Bipartisan Majorities Oppose Government Censorship of Talk Show Hosts, Media Companies

By Burt Glass

Almost three out of four Americans (73%) across political lines agree that the First Amendment should protect private speakers, like media companies and talk show hosts, from government censorship so their speech is virtually unrestricted, except for inciting violence.

That’s a key finding in a new Media & Technology Survey by Boston University’s Communication Research Center, conducted in the wake of government pressure to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his late night show after he made politically charged remarks related to assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Support was strongest among Democrats (87%), but by nearly five-to-one, Republicans agreed rather than disagreed with the statement (64% vs. 13%).

“These findings suggest that FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s recent threats against ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks – which are jawboning, or what one think tank calls ‘censorship by proxy,’ where the government coerces private actors to suppress speech – would be unpopular not only with the American public generally, but with Republicans, too,” said Morgan Weiland, an assistant professor of communication law at Boston University’s College of Communication and lawyer who writes and teaches about free expression and digital media technologies.

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Survey: Big Margins Support Protections Against AI-Powered “Deepfakes” on Social Media

By Burt Glass

An overwhelming majority of Americans across the political spectrum support protections against “deepfakes” in media that use a person’s voice and visual likeness without permission, according to a new opinion survey designed by the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication and conducted by Ipsos.

More than four of five (84%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed that individuals should be protected from the unauthorized use of their voice and visual likeness in digital replicas created by artificial intelligence, or AI.

“As social media platforms scale back content moderation and generative AI creates realistic imitations of celebrities, creators, and journalists, disinformation is spreading faster and more widely than ever before,” said Michelle Amazeen, associate professor and CRC director at Boston University. “In this confusing environment, one principle has strong bipartisan support: the public overwhelmingly agrees that everyone’s voice and image should be protected from unauthorized AI-generated recreations.”

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Survey: Plenty of skepticism of AI in dating apps, especially among women, survey finds

By Burt Glass

More than twice as many people disagree with the idea that computer-powered artificial intelligence in dating apps will lead to more successful relationships than agree – and the gap is even larger among women.

That’s according to a new opinion survey designed by the Communication Research Center at Boston University’s College of Communication and conducted by Ipsos.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is playing a greater role in how dating apps find potential partners for users and is touted by their creators as a big step forward in the field. But Kathryn Coduto, an assistant professor of media science at Boston University and the survey’s designer, says that uncertainty around AI has been consistent over three years of opinion surveys.

“People still feel like they can find a soulmate on a dating app, and at the same time they still feel largely uncertain about AI,” Coduto says.

Only one in 10 (10%) women agree AI-powered dating apps lead to more successful relationships, half that of men (20%).

“Among those who follow the industry, there have been whisperings about this, and the difference is small but significant,” Coduto adds. “This is some of the first hard evidence that women differ from men in this arena, and it follows trends about men generally being more optimistic and present on dating apps.”

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Survey: Across parties, Americans accept removal of false health info by social media companies, survey says

By Burt Glass

An overwhelming majority (72%) of Americans across political parties believe it is acceptable for social media platforms to remove inaccurate information about public health issues, according to a new opinion survey from Boston University.

The survey, designed by researchers at the Communication Research Center at the university’s College of Communication, found that Americans agreed on this across political divides, with 85% of Democrats, 70% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans approving of companies removing this kind of false content.

The same poll reveals that nearly two in three adults (63%) believe if social media posts spread unverified information about a public health issue, it is acceptable for independent fact-checking organizations to verify social media content. About the same percentage (65%) of Americans believe it’s acceptable for social media companies to lower the visibility of inaccurate information about public health issues on their apps and websites, known as “downranking.”

The integrity of public discourse is at risk as political leaders push the boundaries of truth,” says Michelle Amazeen, an associate professor at Boston University’s College of Communication and director of the Communication Research Center. “With social media companies abandoning their fact-checking programs, it is more urgent than ever for these platforms to take meaningful action, given their pivotal role in shaping the national conversation.”

In contrast, less than half (48%) of those surveyed support the “community notes” model where users write and rate notes that appear next to specific posts. Although there are some partisan differences—73% of Democrats, 62% of Independents, and 55% of Republicans favor a fact-checking model—the lukewarm reception of community notes crosses party lines.

“The results so far of social media platforms relying on users to rate the accuracy of posts are sobering,” Amazeen says. “Despite the presence of the community notes programs, social media platforms that use this model remain rife with misinformation.”

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Survey: Despite Election Results, Americans Held More Negative Feelings About Trump Than Harris, Survey Finds

By Burt Glass

Americans surveyed just before the presidential election held stronger negative emotions about Donald Trump than Kamala Harris, running counter to the results days later, according to the latest survey by Boston University’s College of Communication.

Nearly half of respondents said they would describe their feelings about Trump as “disgusted” (48%) or “repulsed” (45%). In contrast, about a third said they would describe their feelings about Harris as “disgusted” (34%) or “repulsed” (32%). The gap was similar when respondents considered other emotions such as anger and fear.

Neither candidate seemed to elicit enthusiasm among respondents. Only 40% felt enthusiastic, strongly other otherwise, about Harris, and 31% felt that way about Trump.

Yet four days after the survey was completed, Trump won nearly 50% of the popular vote compared to slightly more than 48% for Harris.

“In general, Americans were slightly more enthusiastic toward Harris and more angry, afraid, and disgusted by Trump,” said H. Denis Wu , a professor at Boston University’s College of Communication and author of the survey questions. “Partisan difference of emotions in candidate evaluations is predictable and self-clarifying.

“However, the emotions voters had right before the election did not necessarily align well with their party memberships, as some Democrats were angry and disgusted by Harris,” he added.

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