Executive summary 

1. Despite growing public trust and improved optimism about data practices, concerns about data use persist. 

Increasingly, the public agrees that data use is beneficial to society and recognises the useful role data can play in designing products and services that benefit them. However, 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. These concerns are particularly prevalent among older individuals. Notably, these issues mirror the themes participants recalled hearing about in news stories. 

2. When it comes to data sharing, public preferences are driven by overall trust in the organisations involved. 

Public preferences for data sharing are primarily influenced by the organisations that are involved, and participants place less importance on how the data is used or the safeguards that are in place. Notably, digitally disengaged people show lower levels of trust than the overall population across all data actors. However, across all groups, the NHS and academic researchers consistently rank high in trust, whereas social media companies and the Government generally receive lower levels of trust. Reflecting this, data sharing scenarios involving NHS services are favoured, while those involving big technology companies are less preferred. 

3. Despite near universal awareness of AI, public perceptions are dominated by concerns. 

Awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) is nearly universal among the online population. A majority of adults are now able to explain the term, at least to some extent. However, deeper understanding of AI varies significantly, with younger people, those of higher socioeconomic status, and London residents reporting higher levels of familiarity. Despite improved awareness, the public’s associations with AI remain dominated by negative concepts, reflecting fears and concerns, though younger individuals tend to have more positive perceptions. 

4. The public increasingly uses AI chatbots for both personal and work-related matters, but there is a knowledge gap regarding how AI systems are trained. 

AI chatbots are increasingly used by UK adults for both personal and work-related tasks. Six in ten members of the public report having used chatbots in the past three months, with over four in ten of these using them at least once a month. Use of AI for visual content creation is less common, with about a quarter of the public using it at least once a month for both professional and personal purposes. Despite their growing popularity, there is a knowledge gap about how AI systems are trained, with seven in ten members of the public reporting they know only a little or nothing about this topic.   

5. UK adults have mixed perceptions on AI’s societal and personal impact, highlighting the dual potential of AI to provide benefits and generate worries. 

UK adults have mixed perceptions about AI’s impact on society and themselves. Around four in ten expect a positive impact while three in ten anticipate a negative one, both for society and them personally. When considering specific areas, AI is expected to have a positive impact on climate change monitoring, and public services including healthcare and crime prevention. Notably, over half the public think that AI is already used, at least sometimes, to deliver public services. However, there are concerns about its negative role in the spread of misinformation and job displacement. 

6. Concerns about data security and the impact of AI are more pronounced among digitally disengaged individuals compared with the broader online population. 

The vast majority of individuals with very low digital familiarity report being concerned about data security and management. Furthermore, this wave of the survey sees declining trust in organisations to keep their data safe, especially social media and big technology companies. When it comes to data, key concerns include unauthorised sales of personal data, insufficient security measures, and limited control over their data. Regarding AI, those with low digital familiarity recognise the positive impact of AI on society but are less likely to expect to benefit from it personally, with many anticipating negative effects.