One AI Does Not Fit All: A Cluster Analysis of the Laypeople’s Perception of AI Roles

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications have become an integral part of our society. However, studying AI as one entity or studying idiosyncratic applications separately both have limitations. Thus, this study used computational methods to categorize ten different AI roles prevalent in our everyday life and compared laypeople's perceptions of them using online survey data (N = 727). Based on theoretical factors related to the fundamental nature of AI, the principal component analysis revealed two dimensions that categorize AI: human involvement and AI autonomy. K-means clustering identified four AI role clusters: tools (low in both dimensions), servants (high human involvement and low AI autonomy), assistants (low human involvement and high AI autonomy), and mediators (high in both dimensions). Multivariate analyses of covariances revealed that people assessed AI mediators the most and AI tools the least favorably. Demographics also influenced laypeople's assessments of AI. The implications of these results are discussed.