Attitude Towards AI: Potential Influence of Conspiracy Belief, XAI Experience and Locus of Control

The proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, exemplified by Large Language Models (LLM), has ushered in a transformative era across various fields. As the AI revolution will impact societies in complex and uncertain ways, it is likely that persons tending towards belief of conspiracy theories also tend to form more negative and less positive attitudes towards AI. Such persons might believe that some evil force will use AI to destroy human mankind. Drawing on the Interplay of Modality, Person, Area, Country/Culture, and Transparency categories (IMPACT) framework, this study aims to investigate the interplay of locus of control (LOC), belief in conspiracy theories, and the perception of the importance and availability of eXplainable AI (XAI) on attitudes towards AI (measured via AI acceptance and fear). The study used an online survey with 281 participants from the UK and 281 from the Arab world. Statistical analysis revealed that in the UK but not in the Arab sample, female participants reported higher fear of AI and lower acceptance of AI compared to males. The regression results consistently confirmed the role of internal LOC, perceived XAI importance, and perceived availability of XAI in fostering AI acceptance, as well as the role of belief in conspiracy theories, external LOC, and perceiving availability of XAI as being low in increasing fear of AI. The perceived availability of XAI emerges as a crucial influencing factor; addressing it appropriately could enhance societal awareness and acceptance of AI while reducing fear. Personal factors and XAI influence attitudes towards AI in both Arab and UK cultures, enhancing result robustness and revealing nuanced differences.