Starmer’s AI push at risk from public scepticism, think tank warns

Nearly twice as many people see artificial intelligence (AI) as a risk to the economy rather than an opportunity — a scepticism that could undermine Sir Keir Starmer’s bid to make AI central to the Government’s growth strategy, Sir Tony Blair’s think tank has warned.

Polling from the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and Ipsos found that 39% of Britons see AI as a threat and 20% as an opportunity.

It comes after the Prime Minister signed a new tech deal with Donald Trump last week as he seeks to make Britain a world leader in AI and spur on its adoption across Whitehall in a drive to improve productivity and cut costs.

America’s top technology companies announced £31 billion of investment alongside the agreement, including £22 billion from Microsoft to fund an expansion of Britain’s AI infrastructure and the construction of the country’s largest AI supercomputer.

But the TBI warned that unless the Government moves to involve the public in AI development, its growth agenda could be jeopardised by a lack of trust in the technology.

The think tank found that trust in AI is correlated with regular use, which is more prevalent among younger, wealthier men.

In the survey of 3,727 UK adults, more than half said they had not used AI in the last year, and 38% cited distrust in AI outputs as the main obstacle to adoption.

Jakob Mokander, director of science and technology policy at TBI, said: “There is currently a gap between the Government’s narrative and public attitudes towards AI.”

Ministers must ensure AI is worthy of the public’s trust through robust safety testing, and communicate its benefits to people’s day-to-day lives rather than focus on the intricacies of the technology, TBI argued.

Also recommended is a national rollout of AI training for all backgrounds, alongside engagement initiatives such as inviting the public into AI labs.

Mr Mokander said: “We need to prove to people that AI will work for them, not happen to them. We need to clear the fog and mystique around AI development and show people it’s a helpful tool just like any other.

“Building this trust across the entire country, not just those who are already evangelists for AI, must be an urgent priority if we want to bring the benefits of AI to Britain, and realise the Government’s growth agenda.”

A Government spokesperson said: “AI presents huge opportunities, boosting our economy and improving people’s lives, from advancing medical breakthroughs to more personalised public services, but public trust is critical.

“Around 10 million workers are expected to use AI in their day-to-day roles by 2035, so it is vital our workforce has the skills and confidence to use it.

“We are partnering with leading tech firms to deliver AI skills training to 7.5 million workers by 2030, that’s a fifth of the UK workforce, and we’ve launched the AI Assurance Roadmap to build trust in AI systems, increase adoption and help drive growth across the economy.”