My four-year-old son has become fascinated with his new friend, who has endless patience and an answer for everything. She is an artificial intelligence assistant on Doubao, one of China’s most popular AI applications.

My son, obsessed with space, black holes and galaxies, keeps asking Doubao for related videos. When the video is of low quality or inaccurate, I would stop it and explain it may not be reliable. Despite my concerns about AI-generated information, I let him interact with AI within limits. I see AI primarily as a tool; like the internet or smartphone, it will become an important part of everyday life, so learning to use it matters.

Such an attitude is echoed by most Chinese people, especially among the younger generation. But it seems different for their peers across the Pacific.

According to a recently released Chinese survey of more than 7,000 people, over 96 per cent report an awareness of AI with over 54 per cent using it. More than 40 per cent use AI specifically in work, study or daily life, significantly higher than seen in the United States and other developed countries. The Edelman Trust Barometer shows 87 per cent in China trust AI, compared with only 32 per cent in the US.

In contrast, last year’s Harvard Youth Poll found that 59 per cent of 18-29yearolds in the US believed AI threatened their job prospects. Gallup data shows 48 per cent of Gen Z workers think the risks of AI in the workplace outweigh the benefits – an 11 percentage point jump from........

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