“That is scary!”: consumer perceptions and discourses on ChatGPT

Abstract

Purpose The rise of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) bots such as ChatGPT highlights users’ anxieties and high expectations. This study aims to explore consumers’ views of AI conversational bots and examines their societal implications, emphasizing public perception as a fundamental factor in their acceptance and integration. Design/methodology/approach This study combines manual and automated thematic analysis to understand public sentiment by analyzing 45,844 YouTube comments. The comments are collected from the top five nonsponsored English-language YouTube videos on ChatGPT, with comments extracted using Octoparse. Key themes and their relationships are identified through manual coding and further analyzed using Leximancer to enhance the depth and accuracy of the analysis by detecting patterns in large data sets. Findings The analysis reveals three primary areas: empowerment through AI-enhanced capabilities, anxiety over AI-induced societal shifts and negotiating human–AI collaboration. Concerns are expressed about misinformation, privacy and the impact of AI on employment and human skills. Conversely, positive perceptions highlight AI’s role in education, personal productivity and medical diagnosis. These themes categorize public sentiment into techno-skepticism, techno-realism and techno-optimism, demonstrating the complex and diverse opinions on AI technology. Originality/value This research bridges AI’s technical aspects with its social and ethical dimensions, providing a comprehensive understanding of public sentiment towards ChatGPT. It underscores the importance of examining consumer views as a foundational step in understanding AI’s broader societal impacts.

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