OBJECTIVES: In China, artificial intelligence (AI) begins to provide medical services such as medical diagnosis, smart surgery, telemedicine, et al. In addition to technophiles, some people worry or afraid of AI due to technical risks, ethics and unemployment. We call this phenomenon “AI-technophobia” (AIT) and try to answer the question: What is the degree of AIT in Chinese public?

METHODS: We propose an AIT scale with five criteria: techno-paranoia, techno-fear, techno-anxiety, cybernetic revolt and less sense of identity. Then we send out 600 anonymous electronic questionnaires. Each questionnaire with three categorical variables (living region, biological gender and age) and five test questions which based on 5-point LIKERT scale to express AIT degree: 5 is strongest, 1 is lowest and more than 3 is considered as AIT. The questionnaires are analyzed by statistical description and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS: Reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) and validity (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test) are 0.832 and 0.777. For three groups by living region (according to city ranking of AI development in China, 2019), four groups by age, two groups by biological gender, there are all non-significant differences (p>0.05) in answers. According to K-S test, the answers’ distribution can be accepted as normal for all groups. Average scores of questionnaires are 2.998 (top 5 cities of AI development), 2.976 (cities from 6^th to 10^th of AI development), 3.038 (other cities), 3.026 (male), 2.982 (female), 3.05 (under 18-years old), 2.968 (18 to 40-years old), 2.948 (40 to 60-years old) and 3.036 (over 60-years old). Total average score is 3.004 which exceeds neutral-score (3.000).

CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese public, AIT does exist. But there is non-significant degree of AIT between different group dividing according to living region, biological gender and age.