43 per cent of Omanis use AI tools, survey finds

MUSCAT, OCT 25
Forty-three per cent of Omanis have used AI tools and applications, and the overwhelming majority of users — 97 per cent of women and 95 per cent of men — say the technology has helped them accomplish daily tasks better, although privacy and the verification of AI-generated information remain significant concerns, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) to measure public opinion on artificial intelligence, aimed to gauge public knowledge of AI technologies, monitor the spread of their use, identify the motivations for use and the benefits achieved, and assess the degree of trust in the output of AI applications.
The results showed that 42.9 per cent of Omanis have direct experience with AI tools or applications, and that 68 per cent of users turn to the technology regularly, daily or several times a week. Usage is highest among young people aged 18 to 29 at 54 per cent, among the employed at 55 per cent, and among those with a qualification above the General Education Diploma (GED) at 83 per cent.
Chat programmes were the most used of the AI tools, accounting for 89 per cent of users, followed by smart features on phones at 53 per cent and apps that suggest content or products at 51 per cent. Seventy-four per cent of participants said they used AI to search for information, 65 per cent to accomplish tasks and 58 per cent for everyday uses such as translation and images.
Saving time and effort was the primary motivation, cited by 53 per cent of users, followed by learning and understanding at 20 per cent and improving the quality of results and work at 16.6 per cent, while 6.5 per cent used AI as a decision-making assistant.
Trust in the technology remains measured. Sixty-six per cent of users described their trust in AI-generated information as moderate, and 69 per cent verify AI outputs against other sources, while only 4.6 per cent rely on the answers directly. Privacy and data leakage top the list of concerns at 46 per cent of users, followed by incorrect or misleading information at 18 per cent — yet 36 per cent of users admitted to having entered personal data or shared private photos with AI tools despite those concerns.
The survey indicated that the level of knowledge about AI varies across society. Sixteen per cent of participants said they had good knowledge of AI tools, 20 per cent moderate knowledge and 22 per cent limited knowledge, while 42 per cent said they had no knowledge of the technology whatsoever.
Awareness tracks education and age: 95.8 per cent of participants with qualifications above the GED said they had heard of the term artificial intelligence, compared with 33.6 per cent of those aged 50 and above. Familiarity is also higher among the employed at 50 per cent, against 34 per cent among the unemployed, and 63.9 per cent of government employees believe AI has become part of their lives.
On the way forward, 86 per cent of Omanis see a need for interventions that support the optimal use of AI. Practical training was chosen as the most useful intervention by 33 per cent of participants, followed by community awareness at 32 per cent and clear legislation and controls at 19 per cent, while children and education topped the areas needing priority in AI regulation at 40 per cent, followed by government services at 29 per cent and the health sector at 25 per cent.
The NCSI stressed the importance of using the survey's outcome in developing national policies and initiatives related to AI, as well as designing regulatory, awareness and training programmes that enable the responsible, safe and effective use of the technology in line with the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.