AI Study in Switzerland: Both Fascinating and Concerning
A new study by the University of Zurich, supported by Sunrise, shows that the majority of the Swiss population has mixed feelings about generative AI—enthusiasm and concern coexist, rather than being mutually exclusive.
AI Study in Switzerland: Ambivalence Rather Than Clear-Cut Positions
A new AI study in Switzerland conducted by the University of Zurich—carried out independently and supported by Sunrise—provides one of the most comprehensive pictures to date of how people in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland perceive and use generative artificial intelligence. The results challenge common assumptions: The majority of respondents are neither clearly enthusiastic nor unequivocally concerned—but rather both at the same time.
The study is titled «ai-dentities» and is based on a nationally weighted survey of 1,000 people aged 15 to 79. Concern slightly outweighs enthusiasm, but a striking number of respondents report experiencing both feelings at the same time. The use and acceptance of AI vary by age and gender: Younger people use generative AI significantly more often. Women use it slightly more often than men—and with slightly less concern.
Metaphors reveal this ambivalence
A key element of the study is the qualitative analysis of the metaphors people use to describe AI. «Gingerbread: delicious, but sticky» or «Formula 1: The car can do an incredible amount—but it needs a driver»—such images show just how strongly social and political concerns shape the public’s understanding of AI. They capture nuances that standardized attitude surveys often fail to reflect. «Lego—because it encourages play» is also among the comparisons mentioned.
Sandra Cortesi, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Zurich as well as an assistant professor of Participation and Diversity in Digital Societies at the Technical University of Munich, puts the findings into perspective: «Public debate often assumes there is a divide between AI enthusiasts and skeptics. Our data show something different: Most people feel both concern and enthusiasm at the same time.» This ambivalence is not confusion, Cortesi says, but rather reflects a thoughtful engagement with a technology that indeed presents both opportunities and risks. At the same time, she warns: Young people are increasingly integrating generative AI into their daily lives, and it remains to be seen whether they possess the necessary skills—which makes it all the more important for society and institutions to respond through education, clear guidelines, and the active involvement of young people.
Sunrise: Public Debate as Part of Our Responsibility
As a telecommunications provider, Sunrise creates the technological foundations—connectivity, processing capacity, and resilient infrastructure—that enable new digital technologies to be used in everyday life. The company also sees it as its responsibility to facilitate public discourse on AI and to support related research. «Artificial intelligence will only create real added value if people trust and understand it,» says André Krause, CEO of Sunrise. «This requires a societal dialogue and independent insights into how individuals, groups, and society at large experience this technology.»
The results now published are part of the long-term research project «ai-dentities.» An in-depth analysis incorporating additional data and further interpretation is scheduled to be presented in the third quarter of 2026. For more information about the study and upcoming publications, visit www.aidentities.ch available.
