Forty-three per cent of Omanis have used AI tools and applications and 95 per cent of AI users said the technology has helped them accomplish daily tasks better. However, some of the participants expressed concern regarding privacy and verification of the information produced by AI applications.
A survey conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) to measure public opinion on AI. The survey aimed to gauge public knowledge about AI technologies, monitor the spread of their use, identify the motivations for use and the benefits achieved, assess the degree of trust in the output of AI applications.
The survey indicated that the level of knowledge about AI tools and applications varies among members of society. Sixteen per cent of the participants said they had good knowledge of AI tools, 20 per cent had moderate knowledge, and 22 per cent had limited knowledge while 42 per cent said they have no knowledge of AI technology whatsoever.
Ninety-five per cent of the participants with qualifications above the general education diploma (GED), said they had heard of the term Artificial Intelligence whereas 33.6 per cent individuals aged 50 and above had heard of AI.
The outcome of the NCSI’s survey showed that familiarity with AI is higher among the employed at 50 per cent, compared to 34 per cent among the unemployed and that 63.9 per cent of government employees believe AI has become part of their lives.
The survey showed that 42.9 per cent of Omanis have direct experience with AI tools or applications, and 68 per cent of users use the technology regularly on a daily or weekly basis.
According to the NCSI’s survey, chat programmes were highly used compared to the other AI tools, accounting for 89 per cent of users followed by smart phone features at 53 per cent and apps that suggest content or products at 51 per cent.
Seventy-four per cent of the participants said they used AI to search for information while 65 per cent said they used AI to accomplish tasks and 58 per cent for translation and image recognition.
The results showed that AI tool usage is highest among young people aged 18-29 at 54 per cent, 55 per cent among the employed and 83 per cent among those with a post-GED qualification.
The survey showed that saving time and effort is the primary motivation for using AI tools accounting for 53 per cent of users, learning and understanding (20 per cent), improving the quality of results and work (16.6 per cent) while 6.5 per cent used AI AS decision-making assistant.
Students accounted for 40 per cent of AI users, government employees (29 per cent) and health professionals accounted for 25 per cent.
The NCSI report stressed the importance of utilizing the survey 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 AI in line with the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.
The survey outcome provides indicators on the current state of AI technology use in Omani society, levels of awareness about it, motivations for using it, and the risks associated with its use. This information supports the identification of training, awareness, and regulatory needs according to the characteristics of different segments of society.
Text by Abdulaziz al Abri
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