New research on UK attitudes to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is now out from Bosch as part of a global study.

Greater safety is seen as the foremost benefit of AI for mobility

The Tech Compass 2024 survey asked more than 11,000 people about their perceptions towards technology, exploring their thoughts on technological progress and the opportunities and risks of technology and AI.

Two-thirds (64%) of people globally said AI will be the most influential technology in the near future. And over half (55%) of respondents believe AI will change the world for the better. This is commonly held view especially in Asian countries, with 83% in China and 75% in India responding yes to this question.

In terms of key benefits, the largest number of respondents (49% overall and a whopping 70% in China) stated that AI will “make life more comfortable”. This was followed by “make work easier” (45%) and “better health” (44%).

When it comes to mobility, people worldwide would like to see the greatest benefits from AI in increased safety (60%), reduced fuel consumption/ greater range (54%) and easier and stress­free parking (39%).

While the desire for greater safety in the car through AI comes first in all countries, with the exception of France, there are regional differences in the rankings.

Particularly striking is the comparatively high desire among Asians (China: 50%, India: 46%) for driving assistance features to enable alternative activities while driving and to improve the driving experience (China: 58%, India: 45%), which is less pronounced in Western countries and Brazil.

However, people also had mixed feelings about AI as the study results reveal.

When asked which technology poses the greatest threat to society, 38% of those surveyed named “artificial intelligence,” 11 percentage points more than in previous years. People worry about the negative impact that AI could have. More than half of those surveyed (53%) are concerned of loss of jobs due to automation. This is followed by “privacy violations” and the fear of “manipulation of human behaviour due to AI-powered algorithms,” both coming in at 52%.

The Tech Compass 2024 report is available here.