Study. Romanians want human control over AI and strict protection of personal data
Amid the rapid expansion of technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), Romanians express concern about the way personal data is managed and the lack of human control in decision-making.
According to the study conducted between May and June 2025, 7 out of 10 respondents are „very” or „moderately” concerned about the way AI accesses and uses their personal information.
The results show that only 20% of participants would accept professional assessments made exclusively by AI. In contrast, almost 40% would agree with the involvement of AI only if it is doubled by human analysis, and over a quarter completely reject the idea. Additionally, 60% of respondents say they prefer to interact with a real person rather than a chatbot when seeking support from a company or institution.
Data privacy concerns are present regardless of age, education or occupation. Even young people between 18 and 24 years old, considered digital natives, say they are concerned about how AI can access their personal information — 71% of them share this fear.
The study also shows that 62% of Romanians consider it necessary to strictly regulate the use of AI in sensitive areas, such as education, health, justice or public administration.
“Romanians do not reject AI as a technology, but demand clear rules and human oversight. Trust in AI is not built only with algorithms, but with transparency, ethics and solid regulation,” said Mihai Stănescu, founder of RoCoach.
The study was conducted on a sample of 800 professionally active people, aged between 18 and 64, from urban areas, through online interviews.