New YouGov polls find Brits really don't like — or trust — AI companies

13 hours ago 6

A person typing on a laptop and using a tablet. Only their upper torso, arms and hands are visible. Text superimposed on the image shows AI

59% of Brits have a negative perception of AI companies vs. 50% for Big Tech
Usage and exposure likely has the biggest impact on perception
YouGove also revealed 14 common themes to explain why

Three in five (59%) UK citizens now have a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion of AI companies per a recent YouGov survey.

That puts the industry in a more negative position than energy utilities (54%), arms manufacturers (52%), news media (50%), Big Tech (50%) and fast food (49%).

Interestingly, YouGov's data shows that there's not as much of a difference in view among supporters of different political parties or different genders – instead, perception changes are most evident among AI users and non-users.

More than half of Brits don't like AI companies

Daily AI users are the only group where positive sentiment (41%) exceeds negative sentiment (34%), and the less a person uses AI, the more negative they're likely to feel about it, including weekly users (52% unfavorable), less frequent users (55% unfavorable), ex-users (69% unfavorable) and non-users (76% unfavorable).

Ultimately, "the more Britons use AI, the more likely they are to have a positive opinion of AI companies," YouGov concludes.

However, AI companies haven't quite reached the levels of negative sentiments that social media companies (64% unfavorable) have. Tobacco and gambling companies remain the least popular company types.

Other similar research from the UK's Office for National Statistics aligns with YouGov's findings, revealing that two in five (38%) British adults think AI brings more risks than benefits. A third (32%) also said they wouldn't trust AI to handle any of the tasks raised in the survey.

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YouGov also published results earlier this year revealing exactly why over 1,200 UK adults feel the way they do about AI, uncovering 14 common themes including environmental impacts, human connections, regulation and governance, employment impacts, misuse and bias.

Overall, YouGov's latest findings reveal a largely mixed, but mostly negative, perception of AI that's more likely to change with exposure and experience than political party, age or gender.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

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