Most Brits are aware of AI but think it’s not for them, ONS survey finds
New technologies are covered by existing privacy laws (John Walton/PA)
/ PA Wireost Brits are now aware of new artificial intelligence technologies but don’t consider them relevant to their work, a new survey has found.
More than 70% of adults said they could give at least a partial explanation of AI, according to data collected by the Office for National Statistics. However, only 5% said they used AI a lot, while 78% said AI-powered tools like chatbots and facial recognition were not applicable to their businesses.
“The surge of artificial intelligence developments have been well documented in recent months, increasing public awareness,” the ONS said.
“[But businesses with less than 10 employees were most likely to report that the question about current AI use was not relevant to them.”
The survey data reflects a broader trend that citizens in Western countries tend to be much less aware of the everyday use cases for AI technologies than their counterparts in other parts of the world.
A survey by accountancy firm KPMG earlier this year found that while as many as 90% of people in BICS countries (Brazil, India, China, South Africa) report using AI in their work, a minority of people in most western countries (32–41%) report using AI.
“People in the BICS countries, Singapore and Finland report greater AI use in their organisations than people in other countries,” KPMG said.
“This likely reflects a greater understanding of AI and when and how it is used by organisations in these countries.”
However, there are signs younger Brits are embracing AI technologies much more readily.
New data released by social media app Snapchat has found over 150 million people worldwide have sent more than 10 billion messages to My AI, its bespoke in-app chatbot, which was released to users earlier this year.
Snapchat has over 20 million monthly users in the UK, of which more than 50% are under the age of 25.
According to Snapchat, users are trying out the new chatbot to “foster creativity and connection with friends, receive real-world recommendations, and learn more about their interests and favorite subjects.” Real-world recommendations are among the most popular reasons to use that chatbot, with users seeking advice on places to go on holiday and the best restaurants for a bite to eat.