Welcome to the Brave New World: Lay Definitions of AI at Work and in Daily Life

Wenbo Li, Shuning Lu, Shan Xu, Xia Zheng, School of Communication and Journalism, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Public Relations and Strategic Communication Management, College of Media , Texas Tech University

Social Science Computer Review

Published online on September 25, 2025

Abstract

Social Science Computer Review, Ahead of Print.
This study investigates individuals’ lay definitions—naïve mental representations—of artificial intelligence (AI). Two national surveys in the United States explored lay definitions of AI in the workplace (Study 1) and in everyday life (Study 2) using ...