June 27, 2023

Malwarebytes ChatGPT Survey Reveals 81% are Concerned by Generative AI Security Risks

Survey also uncovers 63% of respondents distrust ChatGPT while 51% question AI’s ability to improve internet safety

Santa Clara, Calif. – July 27, 2023 – Malwarebytes, a global leader in real-time cyber protection, today released the results of its consumer pulse survey, exposing deep reservations about ChatGPT, with optimism in startlingly short supply.

“An AI revolution has been gathering pace for a very long time, and many specific, narrow applications have been enormously successful without stirring this kind of mistrust,” said Mark Stockley, Cybersecurity Evangelist at Malwarebytes. “At Malwarebytes, Machine Learning and AI have been used for years to help improve efficiency, to identify malware and improve the overall performance of many technologies. However, public sentiment on ChatGPT is a different beast and the uncertainty around how ChatGPT will change our lives is compounded by the mysterious ways in which it works.”

The survey findings indicate that ChatGPT has a trust issue. Only 10% surveyed agreed with the following statement, “I trust the information produced by ChatGPT,” while 63% disagreed. Similar sentiment was held among respondents in relation to accuracy with only 12% agreeing with the statement, “the information produced by ChatGPT is accurate,” while over half (55%) disagreed.

Beyond concerns around trust and accuracy, a resounding 81% of respondents believed ChatGPT could be a possible safety or security risk with 52% of respondents calling for a pause on ChatGPT work for regulations to catch up – echoing similar tech luminary concerns voiced earlier this year. 

Key Findings

Despite the avalanche of ChatGPT media coverage and online chatter, only 35% of respondents agreed with the statement “I am familiar with ChatGPT,” significantly less than the 50% that disagreed.

Of those who said they were familiar with ChatGPT:

• 12% agree the information produced by ChatGPT is accurate
• 81% are concerned about possible security and safety risks
• 63% distrust ChatGPT information
• 51% question whether AI tools can improve internet safety 
• 52% want ChatGPT developments paused in order for regulations to catch up

To read the full findings, visit our blog: www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2023/06/chatgpt.

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Survey Methodology

Malwarebytes conducted a pulse survey of its newsletter readers across the globe between May 29 and May 31, 2023, via the Alchemer Survey platform. In total, 1449 people responded.

About Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes believes that when people and organizations are free from threats, they are free to thrive. Founded in 2008, Malwarebytes CEO Marcin Kleczynski had one mission: to rid the world of malware. Today, Malwarebytes’ award-winning endpoint protection, privacy and threat prevention solutions along with a world-class team of threat researchers protect millions of individuals and thousands of businesses across the globe daily. Malwarebytes solutions are consistently recognized by independent tests including MITRE Engenuity, MRG Effitas, AVLAB and AV-TEST (consumer and business). Customers award Malwarebytes for being the most implementable and most usable endpoint protection product with the best results on G2 and Gartner Peer Insights. The company is headquartered in California with offices in Europe and Asia. For more information and career opportunities, visit https://www.malwarebytes.com.