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Public attitudes to data and AI (Wave 4) report published

Trust is increasing, but concerns persist over how data is used and perceptions remain dominated by red flags. 

a woman sitting in front of a laptop computer

The UK Government has published the results of its Public attitudes to data and AI: Tracker survey (Wave 4) report. The results point to steadily rising awareness of artificial intelligence and greater trust in data practices, although there’s still a lot of ground to make up before most people feel comfortable with the lighting rate of adoption and rollout. 

‘While public attitudes regarding the value and transparency of data use are becoming more positive, concerns around accountability persist. Anxieties are primarily rooted in data security, unauthorised sales of data, surveillance, and a lack of control over data sharing,’ the report said, emphasising that older age groups tend to feel the most persistent concerns. 

The NHS and academic researchers consistently ranked highly for trust across the UK population as a whole, and people who engage more digitally are in turn more likely to feel confident in how data is shared and stored. But across all age groups such fears were directly associated with the reputation and view of the organisation involved.

Knowledge gaps also remain significant, particularly with regard to how AI models are trained. Six-in-10 adults have used chatbots in the past three months, four-in-10 at least once a month. AI use for visual content creation was lower, with just one-quarter engaging in this way at least once a month for professional or personal purposes. However, only 6% said they knew “a great deal” about how systems are developed and trained, with 19% knowing “a fair amount”, 34% having “limited knowledge” and 37% reporting little-to-no understanding. 

Beyond this, two-in-five respondents recalled seeing, hearing or reading about artificial intelligence in a news item over the past six months, echoing previous waves of the study. Most news stories related to data breaches or leaks, misuse of information, and privacy concerns. However, there were differences across regions. For example, Northern Ireland recorded particularly high levels of anxiety around security and nefarious access of data, while in Scotland privacy was the greatest fear. 

‘Public opinion on data and AI is complex and context-dependent. To ensure an inclusive understanding, this year’s survey captured the perspectives of over 5,000 people, with additional voices from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. This makes it the first survey of its kind in the world, offering a comprehensive view of public sentiment across the UK,’ said Feryal Clark, Minister for AI and Digital Government.

‘These insights will continue to shape the government’s approach to data and AI, centering public voices as we navigate the immense opportunities these technologies offer,’ she continued. ‘We hope this latest survey, like its predecessors, will serve as a cornerstone for building trust and empowering society to harness the transformative potential of data and AI.’   

Read the full report here.

More on data management: 

National Databank access expands to overcome digital exclusion at Christmas

‘Data doomsday’ approaches as energy demand outstrips supply

Business leaders claim data is easy to use, IT staff struggle

Image: Vasilis Caravitis

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