Analyzing Opinions of Subscribers about Artificial Intelligence and Manpower Issues in Newspaper Coverages

Abstract

The significance of mass media is that of setting news agenda and facilitating the public opinion on the basis of this agenda setting. Thus, the role of mass media is not only an intermediary body for disseminating information to the public, but also influence on the manner, in which people consider and view society. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and manpower issues are deserved to setting news agenda because the issues are critical agenda of the current era. However, the previous literatures pointed out that newspaper coverages mainly covered with the business and industrial aspect of AI issues and less attention has been given to the analysis of specific frames from public opinion. Thus, this study aims to address the opinion of subscribers about newspaper coverage on AI and manpower issues. This study employs two approaches, quantitative and qualitative analysis. The results of quantitative analysis on topic model point to three frames, namely, humanity, society, and robotics. The study then applied these frames as the basis of qualitative analysis. Subscribers are mainly concerned about a lack of humanity and the violation of human dignity due to the implementation of AI. Additionally, subscribers discussed the manner, in which AI is changing the meaning of work. In terms of robotics, opinions were clearly polarized into positive and negative: Positive points mainly viewed the benefits of robots, such as addressing the shortage in labors, eliminating heavy labor, becoming friends with human beings, among others. Conversely, the negative opinions mainly associated with the fear against robots. This study suggested that the government needs to utilize means of implementation to mitigate the user's sense of aversion against AI. Additionally, the government needs to delineate the future society toward co-existence and cooperation between machine and humans.