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Majority of Brits don’t trust the government to regulate AI

Government AI
Image credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Two-thirds of the UK believe the government do not understand emerging technologies – such as AI – enough to adequately regulate them, new research claims.

The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer – an annual mass survey of public opinion on various institutions – revealed that in the UK, there is considerable anxiety over the government and businesses’ ability to manage the rise of new innovative technologies.

The report found that 66% of people in the UK think that “government regulators lack adequate understanding of emerging technologies”, the highest percentage in the 28 countries surveyed.

This distrust becomes particularly apparent with AI, with many respondents concerned that risks such as disinformation and job security are not being managed well enough.

When it comes to AI, almost half (43%) of respondents would reject innovations related to the technology due to distrust in how they are being managed – both by the government and corporations. That’s compared with just 26% who would embrace the innovations.

The British government is keen to be seen as a leader in AI regulation, having hosted the world-first AI Safety Summit in November last year.

The event was hailed by the prime minister and tech secretary as a triumph, resulting in the signing of the Bletchley Declaration, an agreement of 28 nations – including the US and China – to cooperate on AI safety.

Critics, however, have argued these agreements do not adequately address the risks of AI that are already present, instead pointing to the UK’s lack of legislation governing the technology.

The minister for AI and intellectual property said in November there were no plans to regulate AI in the “short term”, with the goal being to allow for the establishment of innovation without regulatory roadblocks.

The trust barometer, which surveyed 32,000 people across 28 countries, found that the vast majority of people (70%) think business leaders should develop emerging technologies “slowly and with great care” to reduce the chance of harm.

In January, it was reported that the government was planning a series of AI tests to determine when legal intervention would be required.

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