Since May 2022, Horizon Media’s WHY Group has been keeping a pulse on people’s perceptions and engagement with five key areas: NFTs, cryptocurrency, blockchain, the metaverse, and artificial intelligence*. 

What we found

A Lack of Public Understanding Persists 

Since 2022, we’ve seen a continued lack of public understanding of the definitions of major emerging technologies. Media buzz has focused more on high-level topics like financial investments and safety regulation than on everyday use cases, adding to the confusion and skepticism of the general public. 

The attention to potential big-picture drawbacks and uncertainties has overshadowed what could otherwise be excitement about the potential of these advancements. 

Brands Have an Opportunity to Make Emerging Tech More Approachable

Despite general apprehension, brands are finding avenues to use these technologies as a point of connection with audiences by creating experiences that are easy to use, accessible, and value-added for the user. 

The public’s growing interest in AI showcases a willingness to engage with emerging tech—provided they understand the direct benefits the tools can have in their lives. 

To read the full report, click ‘Download PDF’ below.

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About the tracker

Each pulse we check in with roughly 1,000 people 18+ nationwide via the Finger on the Pulse panel to understand their mindsets, attitudes, and behaviors. This report explores:  

1. What is their current familiarity with these five key technologies? 
2. Is this familiarity matched with an understanding of these technologies? 
3. How are brands entering the conversation surrounding these technologies? 
4. How is interest in artificial intelligence manifesting into adoption? 

For this report, we analyzed over 18,000 responses gathered over 20 months. 

Surveys fielded May 2022-Dec 2023 

*Added February 2023