Almost 70% of respondents say they are 'very' or 'moderately' worried about the way Artificial Intelligence (AI) accesses and uses their data, reveals a survey conducted by RoCoach together with Novel Research.

Data privacy concerns are present across all walks of life, regardless of age, education or occupation. Not even 18- to 24-year-olds, considered digital natives, are more relaxed: 71% of them say they are afraid of how AI can access and use their personal information. Also, more than two-thirds of respondents with a higher education background share the same concern.

Most Romanians want AI to be supervised by humans, especially when it comes to important decisions. Only 20.2% would agree with fully autonomous professional assessments done by AI. Almost 40% would accept AI only if it were doubled by a human analysis, and 27.2% completely reject such option. Also, 60.8% of respondents say they would prefer to interact with a real person, not with a chatbot or other automated system, when they need support from a company or institution.

The study also shows that 62.4% of Romanians believe that the use of AI in sensitive areas - such as education, healthcare, justice, public administration or the financial sector - should be strictly regulated by law. At the heart of this demand is the idea of human control and the protection of fundamental rights.

'The results of the survey clearly show that Romanians are not ready to leave important decisions in the hands of artificial intelligence, without human intervention. We are dealing with a population that is increasingly aware of digital risks and more attentive to the way their personal data is managed. Beyond technology, people want guarantees of transparency, balance and responsibility. That is why the future of AI cannot be built only on algorithms, but on trust, ethics and solid legislation', says Mihai Stanescu, founder of RoCoach, a coaching company and developer of the Organisational Transition Quotient (ORQ), in the presentation of the survey findings.

The survey also shows that Romanians do not reject AI as a technology - only 9.5% of respondents believe that it has an exclusively negative impact, but they strongly demand that AI-based systems operate in an ethical, supervised and regulated framework, where decisions are transparent and individual rights protected.

In a European context where the adoption of the AI Act and the revision of the GDPR regulations are being discussed, the message sent by Romanian citizens is clear: innovation must be accompanied by responsibility and human supervision.

'Beyond the technological enthusiasm, the survey shows a clear need for a balance between innovation and protection. Romanians are not asking for a halt to progress, but for clear rules, human control and respect for individual rights. This reaction is not a barrier to development, but a form of social maturity that must be included in any digitalisation strategy. If we want AI to become part of our daily lives, then we must start by building trust - and this is based on transparency, regulation and real dialogue between decision-makers and citizens,' according to Managing Partner Novel Research Marian Marcu.

The survey was conducted on a sample of 800 people from urban areas, aged between 18 and 64, professionally active and internet users. The data were collected between May and June 2025, using a CAWI (Computer Assisted WEB Interviews) method. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)