Fleet managers in the UK are taking a more cautious approach to adopting artificial intelligence (AI) technology than their European colleagues.

Only a third of UK-based fleet managers believe AI can improve access to data and drive actionable insights

A new study carried out by Geotab across seven different markets found only a third of UK-based fleet managers believe AI can improve access to data and drive actionable insights.

Meanwhile, almost half (48%) suggested that the much discussed technology would in fact add a layer of complexity to data analytics and fleet management.

This contrasts to fleet managers on the continent, where there’s a much stronger belief that AI can improve their ability to access data and improve operations.

Fleet managers from France (64%), Italy (60%), the Netherlands (59%), Spain (52%), Germany (51%) and Ireland (43%) all showed greater trust in AI and a belief that it will spur their ability to access data easily and quickly to drive actionable insights.

The ‘Trusted data insights: what are your vehicles telling you?’ study was carried among 400 fleet managers to discover attitudes to new technology, efficiency and sustainability.

Published ahead of Mobility Connect 2024, Geotab’s European event (22 October, Milan), the research also identifies challenges and areas for improvement to ensure fleets are reaping the benefits of game-changing AI technology developments.

Geotab has debuted its own Generative AI (GenAI) assistant for fleet managers, called Geotab Ace. Over 100 companies globally, including a number of Geotab partners, have signed up to be part of the programme to evaluate and provide feedback on Geotab Ace.

Early adopters have worked with the GenAI assistant, providing data-driven answers to more than 1,000 customer questions. Recurring topics include questions relating to driver risk and safety, diagnostic data and maintenance, fuel consumption and efficiency, and vehicle utilisation.

Geotab Ace is capable of processing vast quantities of data quickly, speeding up time to insight. As an example, a response to a question such as “What are my fleet carbon emissions over the past 12 months?” can be provided in seconds. In this case, Geotab Ace uses filters such as data by fuel type, associated emission factors and fuel consumption, while calculating thousands of vehicle data inputs over the year.

With faster data insights and easy access to information, fleets can make better decisions for optimum performance including cost management.

Edward Kulperger, senior vice president at Geotab EMEA, said: “In a world where the amount of data collected is increasing every day, it is key that the vast majority of companies trust data insights to deliver business value. The power of data can be further enhanced with advanced tools including AI and analytics.

“As the mobility market continues to address challenges associated with safety, sustainability and operating performance, leveraging data insights will continue to be crucial.”