The mediating effect of the dark future between optimism-pessimism and fear of artificial intelligence in young adults from four Arab countries—a path analysis approach

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the mediating effect of the dark future between optimism-pessimism and fear of artificial intelligence (AI). This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and December 2023, enrolling 1849 participants from four Arab countries. The data were collected using a Google Forms. Path analysis was performed using SPSS AMOS v.30. The results revealed that the dark future mediated the associations between pessimism and fear of AI and between optimism and fear of AI. Higher pessimism was associated with more dark future, and more dark future with higher fear of AI. Higher optimism is linked to a less dark future, which is associated with elevated AI fear. Pessimism and optimism are indirectly associated with fear of AI. This study suggests that pessimism and optimism correlate with fear of AI through dark future views. This may aid future research aiming to highlight clinical implications for treating fear of AI and acceptance.

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