Survey: 48% of HK, SG and ID consumers concerned about loss of human touch in AI

Almost half of consumers (48%) in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore are concerned about the loss of human touch in AI. This increases to 50% among Singaporeans, according to a YouGov survey.  

The multi-region survey, named “Generative AI in media: Consumer sentiment across Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore”, was conducted from 16 December 2024 to 2 January 2025, with 1,004, 501 and 1,001 respondents in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Singapore respectively. Additional insights are available for 14 other markets: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the UAE and the US. 

According to the survey, 42% of Hongkongers are concerned about the loss of human touch with the use of Gen AI in content creation, while 48% of Indonesians and 50% of Singaporeans are worried about the issue. Meanwhile, 44% of Hongkongers are concerned about privacy and data usage, whereas over 45% of consumers in Indonesia and Singapore are worried about it. 

Gen Z are less likely to be concerned (43%) about the loss of human touch in AI, compared to 61% of Baby Boomers. Indonesians have the least concern when compared to Hongkongers and Singaporeans. 

When it comes to AI’s role in the next 10 years, Hongkongers (33%) are more likely to feel optimistic, whereas Indonesians (34%) and Singaporeans (27%) are more likely to be cautious, said the survey. Almost three in 10 consumers in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore are feeling cautious about AI’s increasing role in daily life over the next 10 years, increasing to 32% among Baby Boomers. Gen X and Millennials are more likely to feel optimistic (27% and 28% respectively). 

With an influx of AI-generated content online, one in 10 consumers is uncomfortable with generative AI being used for news formats. Indonesians are consistently more comfortable with generative AI usage across all news formats, such as imagery (58%), video (56%) and audio (51%). Following closely are Hong Kongers while Singaporeans are the least comfortable. 

However, interestingly, Hong Kong has the highest percentage of respondents who trust AI news more (30%) and Indonesia has the lowest percentage of respondents who trust it less (19%). People in Indonesia (70%), India (68%) and Hong Kong (68%) are most likely to trust AI-generated news equally or more out of all 15 surveyed markets, whereas only 45% of Singaporeans have trust in AI-generated news. 

Imagery is the most accepted (48%) format for generative AI usage in brand marketing content. On the flip side, consumers feel more uncomfortable with companies using generative AI for audio and video content (40%). 

Indonesians are significantly more comfortable with generative AI for brand marketing, with over half of them being comfortable with AI-generated imagery, video, articles, and social media posts.  

On the other hand, 37% of consumers are likely to engage with content from AI-generated influencers. This increases to 48% among Indonesians and 40% among Hongkongers, while only 26% of Singaporeans are likely to engage with content from AI-generated influencers. 

Nearly 80% of surveyed consumers in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore believe that disclosing generative AI usage is important, while five in 10 consumers do not believe there are enough regulations in place for generative AI. Singaporeans (58%) are more likely to think that there are not enough regulations in place for generative AI, followed by Indonesians (55%) and Hongkongers (52%). 

Laura Robbie, CEO, APAC, YouGov, said, "Generative AI is rapidly transforming the media landscape, reshaping how content is created, consumed, and trusted. As AI-generated journalism, storytelling, and visual media become more prevalent, consumer sentiment is evolving—marked by both concern and optimism. This report explores how audiences perceive AI’s role in media, with attitudes varying significantly across generations. Understanding these differences is crucial for brands and media organisations aiming to foster trust and responsible adoption."

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