Constituent Engagement Related to Use of AI

Instrument 3. Survey of AI Opinions—participants

OMB No.: ####-####

Expiration Date: MM/DD/YYYY

Instrument 3. Survey of AI opinions—participants

Summer 2024

THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995

This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to provide the Administration for Children and Families with information about the use of artificial intelligence in public benefits programs. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number and expiration date for this collection are OMB #: ####-####, Exp: MM/DD/YYYY. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Tiffany Waits at [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in this research study. We want you to know that:

• The survey will take about 5 minutes.

• It is being conducted by a research company, Mathematica, for the Administration for Children and Families, a federal agency that funds some public benefit programs, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start, and Early Head Start.

• We want to hear your thoughts on using artificial intelligence (AI) in public benefits programs.

• Participating in the study is voluntary and you can skip any question you do not want to answer. You can also choose to stop participating at any time. There are no right or wrong answers. There are no risks associated with completing the survey.

• Your responses will be kept private. Your answers to these questions will not be shared with anyone outside of our research team. Your participation, and your responses, will not affect any benefits you receive now or in the future.

• Your answers will help us learn about different opinions about use of AI in public programs.

Do you agree to participate in this survey?

m Yes 1 (GO TO INTRO)

m No 2 (END)

INTRODUCTION

What is artificial intelligence or AI?

AI is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving abilities. When we say “AI,” we aren’t referring to far-fetched future technologies you might see in movies, but rather technology that currently exists and is accessible to most people. There are lots of different kinds of AI, and you have probably interacted with some of them.

Examples are talking to digital assistants, like Alexa, Siri, or “Hey Google.” You ask them a question and they return an answer to you. Other examples include personalized recommendations and content offered up by Netflix, Instagram, YouTube, or Amazon.

NEXT

1. Which of the following types of AI have you used or interacted with? Select all that apply.

1. Digital assistants (e.g., Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant)

2. Personalized recommendations (e.g., Netflix, YouTube, Amazon)

3. Social media algorithms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

4. Language translation tools (e.g., Google Translate, Microsoft Translator)

5. Facial recognition (e.g., for phone unlocking, tagging photos)

6. Chatbots for customer service or support

7. Navigation apps with real-time traffic updates (e.g., Google Maps, Waze)

8. Voice-to-text dictation (e.g., for sending messages or writing emails)

9. None of the above

10. Other (please tell us more)__________________________

Next, we will show you a few scenarios. There are no right or wrong answers—we just want your opinions. For each scenario, take a moment to think about it and imagine that you are in that situation, even if it does not apply to you right now. Then select the response choice that best fits with your opinion about using AI.

All

2. Imagine that your child attends a public early childhood education or child care center that uses virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Home. These work by capturing short snippets of audio when activated. The staff use these virtual assistants to help manage the physical environment (like adjusting the temperature and lighting or playing music) or as a teaching tool (like to look up facts about bugs).

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

3. Imagine that you are applying online for assistance from the government. For example, you are applying for cash assistance or SNAP benefits. Immediately after completing the application and uploading required documents, you receive an AI-generated notice that you are eligible and will be auto-enrolled into the program you applied for. This means you will begin to receive the public benefit as soon as you complete needed requirements. There is a note that there is a chance your eligibility may be re-determined upon later review from a human.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

4. Imagine that you are enrolled in a publicly funded program, like TANF or SNAP, and you are assigned a new case manager. Your new case manager receives an AI-generated summary of the case notes entered by your prior case managers in the program, in addition to all of the detailed notes. Lacking time to read the detailed notes, the new case manager reads only the summary before meeting with you.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

5. Imagine that you call a hotline to seek immediate help because either you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation. The phone call is recorded as usual. The hotline staff who speaks with you gets an AI-generated recommendation on next steps including resources that you can access in your community and whether to dispatch first responders.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

6. Imagine that you are enrolled in a program to learn new job skills. As part of the program, you can work with a human job skills coach for up to a certain number of hours a month. The human coach could help you with things like resume building and doing practice interviews. You can also use an AI job skills coach for additional practice as much as you'd like. For example, the AI coach could ask you common job interview questions and provide you with feedback about your responses, much like the human would do.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

7. Imagine that you are attending a program orientation where the main language being spoken is not your native language. AI provides live translation so you can interact with social service providers in your preferred language.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

8. Imagine that you are enrolled in a public benefit program, like SNAP or Head Start for your kids. The staff use AI to assist with administrative tasks, like identifying duplicate documents, matching signatures, taking notes in meetings, and filing electronic documents.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

9. Imagine that you are applying for public benefits, like cash assistance or Medicaid. AI provides recommendations to staff about whether you are eligible for the benefits you applied for. Staff are trained to use the recommendations as a consideration but make the final decision, not just follow the AI recommendation.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

10. Imagine you are participating in a public benefit program that includes case management—that means you regularly talk to a staff person about your needs and goals. Staff ask if you are okay with them using an AI assistant to record your conversation together so that the AI can take notes and recommend services that might meet your needs.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

11. An AI program trained on risk assessment scans all the case files for people receiving public benefits and flags files with perceived risks related to mental health or child abuse.

How comfortable are you with AI being used in this way?

SELECT ONE ONLY

□ Very comfortable 1

□ Somewhat comfortable 2

□ Somewhat uncomfortable 3

□ Not at all comfortable 4

all

12. What additional thoughts or concerns do you have about the use of AI by those helping to provide you with access to public benefits and services?

[TEXT FILL]

END. Thank you.