MOSCOW, 16 April 2024. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey among Russians about future technologies.
AI, robots and medicine
Future technologies[1] are advancing rapidly in all areas of society. They facilitate communication, enhance capabilities, improve health, and extend boundaries of understanding art, science and culture. Associations that Russians have with future technologies vary substantially and have no signs of any anxiety or fear, but a wide range of interests and positive expectations technologies can bring. Based on the categorization of the respondents’ answers, the following components of the image of emerging technologies can be singled out:
- AI and related technologies — 29% of answers (AI — 24%, neural network — 5%);
- robotics and process automation — 26% of answers (robotics / robotization — 19%, modernization, robotization of manufacturing processes — 7%);
- medical technology and bioengineering — 24% of answers (bioengineering — 16%, cure for cancer, artificial organs, long life, genetic engineering — 2%, each);
- transport technologies — 20% of answers (flying vehicles — 8%, unmanned vehicles — 5%, electromotor — 3%, machine building / automobile industry and teleportation — 2%);
- innovations in a broad sense, progress — 19% of answers (inventions, innovations — 11%, development, future — 8%);
- digitalization and computerization — 18% of answers (informatization / computerization — 8%, virtual reality technology — 4%, IT technology, computer, electronic document flow — 2%, each);
- space and planet exploration — 16% of answers;
- comfort, living conditions — 16% of answers (comfortable environment, infrastructure — 4%, smart house / city, higher education quality — 3% each, fastness, interest, convenience — 2% each);
- ecology and alternative energy — 7% of answers (environmentally friendly — 4%, green technologies — 3%);
- military technology — 2% of answers.
Previously, a VCIOM survey found that Russians are quite aware of advanced technologies. Another survey revealed that Russia is a country of tech optimists, as nine-in-ten respondents favorably perceive emerging technologies (90%). Another 7% prefer to have a neutral position, and only 2% have unfavorable views.
Future technology: positive impacts and risks
Improved quality of life is the major area where respondents expect positive effects from emerging technologies (52%). A large share of expectations centers around medical technologies and bioengineering (39% of answers).
Another area respondents expect improvements in is robotics and process automation (30% of answers). Fewer respondents point out science, scientific discoveries, and education (12%) and ecology, alternative energy (11%).
Risks of using new technologies can be combined into two groups:
- social and economic risks — 33% of answers (unemployment — 16%,devolution of humankind - 6%, fewer interactions between people, dependence on technologies, total control over population — 3%, each, inequality — 2%);
- technological risks — 28% of answers (destroying nature — 6%, uncontrollable character of technologies, technology getting out of control, rise of machines — 5% each, failures, death of mankind — 3% each, catastrophes, harming humankind, risks of AI — 2% each).
Risks such as military threat (9%) and data security threat (8%) are less important.
Availability of technologies
According to Russians, not everyone has access to modern technologies: 63% say they are available to a minority or particular groups. They are opposed by 32% of those who say anyone has access to new technologies. The older Russians are, the more often they support this stance (39% of those aged 60 + and 23% of those aged 18-24)
Low availability of new technologies is mainly due to high costs, according to most of Russians (81% of those who think such technologies are unavailable to most of people). Four-in-ten respondents think it is due to slow development of such technologies in Russia (43%) and lack of knowledge how to apply them (42%). Another 37% point out shortage of information about discoveries and developments; 27%, distrust in new technologies. Thirteen percent of respondents mention poor regulations; 9% do not see any need for innovations in everyday life.
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Russia and future technologies
Russians are quite positive about Russia’s potential leadership in emerging technologies. Today about a quarter of respondents consider Russia to be one of the most developed countries in future technologies (23%). The older Russians are, the more often they choose this answer option (29% of those aged 60 + vs 9% of under 24s). Every third respondent (32%) believes that it can happen within the next 5-10 years. A further 26% expect it in the long term, within 20-30 years; this stance is common among young respondents aged 18-34 (43-49%). Only 11% think that Russia will never become one of the most developed countries in future technologies.
“VCIOM-online” Russian nationwide survey took place 8-9 February 2024. A total of 1,609 Russians aged 18+ were surveyed. Survey method: online survey, stratified random sample, probabilistic panel. Panel participants are recruited on a daily basis in the course of the CATI-based “Sputnik” survey conducted via random RDD using a list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
What associations do you have in your head when you hear “technologies of the future”? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents, answers that gained at least 2%) | |
AI and related technology, sum of answers | 29 |
AI | 24 |
Neural network | 5 |
Robotics and process automation, sum of answers | 26 |
Robotics / robotization | 19 |
Modernization, robotization of manufacturing processes / replacing humans with robots | 7 |
Medical technology and bioengineering, sum of answers | 24 |
Bioengineering / healthcare / cure | 16 |
Cure for cancer | 2 |
Artificial organs and tissues | 2 |
Long life | 2 |
Generic engineering | 2 |
Transport technologies, sum of answers | 20 |
Flying vehicles / aviation / flight | 8 |
Auto flight / unmanned aerial vehicle/robot aircraft | 5 |
Electric motor | 3 |
Machine building / car industry | 2 |
Teleportation | 2 |
Innovations in a broad sense, progress | 19 |
Inventions / innovations / emerging technology / launching something new | 11 |
Movement forward / development / future | 8 |
Digitalization, computerization, informatization, sum of answers | 18 |
Informatization / digitalization / computerization | 8 |
Virtual reality technology / VR | 4 |
Quality communication / high-speed internet connection | 4 |
IT technology | 2 |
Computer | 2 |
E-document flow | 2 |
Space exploration / space tourism / studying planets | 16 |
Convenience, comfort and living improvements, sum of answers | 16 |
Comfortable environment / comfortable living / infrastructure | 4 |
Smart house / city / space | 3 |
Education / knowledge / higher education level | 3 |
Fastness / speed / time-saving (no precision) | 2 |
Interest | 2 |
Convenience | 2 |
Ecology and alternative energy, sum of answers | 7 |
Environmentally friendly / nature-inspired technology | 4 |
Alternative energy / green technologies | 3 |
Military advancements | 2 |
No associations | 8 |
Other | 7 |
Don’t know | 10 |
What is your personal attitude towards the technologies of the future? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Definitely positive | 62 | 65 | 59 | 72 | 73 | 60 | 59 | 54 |
Rather positive | 28 | 25 | 30 | 20 | 21 | 28 | 31 | 30 |
Neutral | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
Rather negative | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Definitely negative | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Don’t know | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
In your opinion, do the developments in emerging technologies have positive effects on mankind, or not? If so, what kind of effects? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents) | |
Improving living standards, sum of answers | 52 |
Improving well-being / living standards / quality of life / wealth | 19 |
Facilitation / improving the level of comfort in everyday life | 11 |
Developing remote communication between people / information search / online shopping | 4 |
Higher security level | 4 |
More opportunities (including development of artistic potential) | 3 |
Improvements in transport / speed / service quality | 3 |
More spare time | 2 |
Available technology / emerging technology / development of technologies | 2 |
Comfort | 2 |
Lower costs / cost-saving / cost-cutting | 2 |
Medical technologies and bioengineering, sum of answers | 39 |
Development / better healthcare / bioprosthetics / medicines | 29 |
Longevity / human health | 10 |
Robotics and process automation, sum of answers | 30 |
To ease work conditions / easy use | 8 |
Process automation/ replacing humans in dangerous / hazardous industries | 7 |
Higher effectiveness / workforce productivity | 6 |
Speeding up processes / cutting time / time-saving | 5 |
Robotics / robotization | 4 |
Science, scientific discoveries, and education, sum of answers | 12 |
Development / improvements in education | 4 |
Improvements / development of the area of study / space exploration | 4 |
Development / scientific achievements / nanotechnology | 2 |
Getting new knowledge / intellectual growth / life is getting more interesting | 2 |
Ecology and alternative energy, sum of answers | 11 |
Improvement in environment / less harm to environment | 7 |
Clean / green energy/ nuclear energy / new sources of energy | 4 |
Other answers |
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Movement forward / progress / development | 4 |
AI / neural networks | 2 |
Yes | 2 |
No positive effects | 3 |
Other | 4 |
Don’t know | 22 |
In your opinion, do the developments in emerging technologies pose any risks, or not? If so, what kind of risks? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents) | |
Social and economic risks, sum of answers | 33 |
Unemployment / personnel cut / replacement / displacement | 16 |
Cognitive atrophy / degradation | 6 |
Less communication / communication between people in reality | 3 |
Dependence on technologies | 3 |
Excessive / total control over population / people | 3 |
Stratification of society/ inequality | 2 |
Technological risks, sum of answers | 28 |
Destruction / harming nature / environment | 6 |
Uncontrolled operation / getting out of control of humans / no control | 5 |
Rise of the machines | 5 |
Running failure | 3 |
Extinction / death of mankind | 3 |
Catastrophes | 2 |
Using against mankind | 2 |
AI | 2 |
Military threats, sum of answers | 9 |
Warfare / risks / use for military purposes | 5 |
Designing new weapons / arms / arms developments | 4 |
Data security, sum of answers | 8 |
Cyberattacks / scamming / extortion | 4 |
Safety issue / security issue / data leakage | 4 |
Other answers |
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Yes | 4 |
No risks | 17 |
Other | 6 |
Don’t know | 23 |
In your opinion, are the future technology developments (new devices, services, et cetera) currently available to all the Russians, a majority or a minority, particular groups in Russia? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Available to anyone | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Majority | 29 | 29 | 30 | 20 | 23 | 29 | 34 | 33 |
Minority | 33 | 32 | 33 | 40 | 43 | 35 | 30 | 26 |
Particular groups | 30 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 29 |
Don’t know | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
In your opinion, why are the developments in future technologies not available to most of Russians? Up to 3 reasons (close-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who consider that developments in future technologies are available to a minority or particular groups) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Excessive costs | 81 | 80 | 81 | 95 | 86 | 78 | 85 | 69 |
Slow development | 43 | 56 | 33 | 45 | 50 | 45 | 39 | 40 |
Not enough knowledge how to apply such developments | 42 | 38 | 45 | 31 | 31 | 41 | 47 | 51 |
Not enough information about discoveries, developments | 37 | 31 | 42 | 43 | 39 | 39 | 32 | 36 |
Lack of trust in technologies of the future | 27 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 20 | 29 | 23 | 29 |
Lack of laws regulating technology application | 13 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
Lack of need in human activity | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
Deceit / bureaucracy / corruption / authorities not interested enough | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Monopolism / lack of desire to share technology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Sanctions / restrictions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Backwardness of the Russian science | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Don’t know | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
In your opinion, can Russia become one of the most developed countries in future technologies? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
Russia is already one of the most developed countries in future technologies | 23 | 23 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 29 |
Yes, Russia will become one of such countries in 5-10 years | 32 | 29 | 35 | 21 | 20 | 34 | 36 | 39 |
Yes, Russia will become one in the long term, in 20-30 years | 26 | 27 | 26 | 49 | 43 | 25 | 19 | 17 |
No, it can hardly happen | 11 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Don’t know | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
[1]The technologies of the future are modern technologies aimed at improving the quality life, enhancing the workforce productivity, solving various tasks and increasing the effectiveness of different processes in human life. For example, robotics engineering, AR, auditory and visual prosthetics, unmanned cars, 3D printers, et cetera.