Recent research suggests that liberal media outlets exhibit a stronger opposition to artificial intelligence (AI) compared to conservative sources. Concerns regarding AI’s potential to worsen societal issues like racial and gender biases, as well as income inequality, are prevalent among liberal media, as per findings from Virginia Tech University researchers, as reported by PTI.
The researchers highlighted the significant impact of media sentiment on policymakers’ viewpoints regarding AI, underscoring the potential influence on future political discussions. Their study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, also pointed out how differing sentiments within partisan media could shape public opinions on AI.
Angela Yi, a PhD student in Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business, emphasized the role of media sentiment in shaping public opinion and policymakers’ perceptions of contentious topics. The researchers curated a dataset of over 7,500 AI-related articles from May 2019 to May 2021, sourced from various outlets ranging from liberal-leaning publications like The New York Times to conservative-leaning ones such as The Wall Street Journal.
Using an automated text analysis tool, the researchers gauged the emotional tone of the articles by quantifying the balance between positive and negative emotion words. Each article received a standardized emotional tone score based on this analysis.
While refraining from passing judgment on the operational aspects of liberal versus conservative media, the researchers stressed the importance of recognizing and understanding these sentiment differences. Shreyans Goenka, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, highlighted the need to acknowledge these disparities without prescribing a singular “right way” to discuss AI.
The study also explored how media sentiment toward AI evolved following the tragic death of George Floyd in May 2020, which sparked nationwide discussions on social biases. Yi noted that Floyd’s death intensified concerns about social biases in the media, leading to a more negative portrayal of AI in their narratives.
