Latest survey in the Smart Energy Snapshot Series explores consumers’ familiarity with AI and studies consumer interest in ways electricity providers could use AI

Sixty-one percent of Americans believe that artificial intelligence (AI) systems will prove to be valuable for their household electricity usage, according to the latest survey from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC), a nonprofit organization that studies Americans’ energy-related behaviors, interests and values. Among Americans who have experience with AI systems, such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, this figure rises to 76 percent.

The “Computing Consumer Interest in AI” survey – the latest installment in SECC’s Smart Energy Snapshot Series, which debuted in 2023 – was fielded to a nationally representative sample of 1,530 respondents in late June. As AI increasingly becomes part of the energy landscape and routinely makes national headlines, the survey sought to understand how consumers feel about this emerging technology and what their expectations are for its potential applications.

Americans expressed relatively high interest in potential AI services from their electricity providers, with proactive notifications about power outages/scheduled maintenance topping the list at 69 percent. Fifty-seven percent are interested in personalized recommendations for reducing their electricity usage, while about half expressed interest in personalized suggestions for reducing their carbon footprints and for the optimization of their usage via the control of smart home devices.

However, this interest doesn’t mean that Americans don’t have concerns around AI. First, the new Snapshot Survey revealed that many consumers question the accuracy of AI systems; only 12 percent believe that AI systems are very accurate, while an additional 47 percent think that they are somewhat accurate. For consumers who don’t have prior experience with AI systems, only six percent believe AI systems to be very accurate, and one-third think they are somewhat accurate.

Additionally, consumers have concerns regarding data privacy when utilizing AI systems related to their household electricity usage. About three-quarters of consumers (73 percent) expressed concern, with 38 percent saying that they are very concerned. Regardless of consumers’ familiarity and experience with AI systems, these levels of concern remained relatively consistent.

An infographic highlighting the key figures from the “Computing Consumer Interest in AI” survey can be viewed here, and a slide deck with the full survey findings is available exclusively for SECC’s membership here. In addition, we will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, August 27 at 1 p.m. (ET) on the key findings of the survey with guest speakers from POWERCONNECT.AI and Bidgely.