More than half of people in Malta often come across art, music or literary works created by artificial intelligence (AI), the highest proportion in the EU, according to a recent survey.

Those in Malta also appeared to be the most AI savvy, with seven out of 10 saying they can tell the difference between creative works produced by AI and those by humans, the highest proportion across the bloc.

The Maltese were the second most likely to say they employed the technology themselves, with two-fifths saying they often use AI to produce creative works, a proportion second only to those in Poland.

While seeming to feel comfortable around the technology, three-quarters of respondents in Malta expressed concern that AI could impact employment or earnings for creative workers, however, slightly ahead of the EU average.

Like most Europeans, the overwhelming majority of Maltese said they prefer human-made content to that produced by technology.

Malta’s views on AI were explored in the Europeans’ attitudes towards culture Eurobarometer report released this month.

The Maltese said they came across AI art the most, while the Greeks were the least likely to say they did. Graphic: Eurobarometer.

The report revealed that 54% of respondents in Malta encountered AI-generated creative works often, with 42% saying they did not. Croations (52%) were the second most likely to encounter AI art followed by those in Ireland (50%).

All three countries were significantly higher than the European average, which stood at 36%. Those in Greece (22%), meanwhile, seemed to be the least likely to encounter art works created by machines.

Some 69% of the Maltese said they could recognise AI works, significantly more than the EU average of 48%. Greece again came last, with only a third (33%) saying they could recognise such content.

The survey’s authors noted, perhaps unsurprisingly, that age affected how easily an EU respondent could spot AI-created works; roughly two-thirds of those aged 15 to 24 said they could, compared to only one third of those aged 55 or older.

Age also played a significant role in determining someone’s exposure to AI art, with more than half of those aged 15 to 24 agreeing they encountered it often versus just over a fifth of those aged 55 or above.

Students were the most likely to encounter creative works made by AI, as were those living in large towns compared to rural residents.

Education also played a role in how concerned people were about the rise of AI on creative careers; while three-fifths of those who left school at 15 said they were concerned about the impacts of AI, this rose to almost four-fifths for those who completed their education aged 20 or older.

In October, Sliema’s Christine X Art Gallery hosted a new exhibition featuring works collaboratively produced by professional artist Selina Scerri, AI entrepreneur Angelo Dalli and cutting-edge AI.

The Tomorrow’s Blossoms: Hybrid Thinking exhibition combined images created by Scerri from thousands of photos of flowers with bespoke software created by Dalli to produce unusual images evoking a floral-inspired alien landscape.

The Eurobarometer survey is a comprehensive public opinion study designed to gather information about attitudes to social and political issues across the union.

A total of 503 Maltese participants aged 15 and above were interviewed between February and March this year for the survey.