Wider adoption of AI should be matched by increased independent regulation according to the results of a survey of public attitudes by research group the Ada Lovelace Institute.

As momentum to support the widespread use of AI grows, the group suggests that meaningful legislation on AI in the UK has appeared to stall. It says that its survey highlights that this shift away from regulation is out of step with public attitudes.

The nationally representative polling examined not only whether the UK public support regulation of AI, but also how they expect it to function, and where gaps between public expectations and policy ambition may lie. Among the findings were a desire for independent oversight of AI, with strong support (89%) for an independent regulator for AI, equipped with enforcement powers.

Nuala Polo, UK public policy lead at the Ada Lovelace Institute, said: “There is a major misalignment between what the UK public want and what the government is offering in terms of AI regulation. The government is betting big on AI, but success requires public trust. When people do not trust that government policy will protect them, they are less likely to adopt new technologies, and more likely to lose confidence in public institutions and services, including the government itself.”

The survey also suggest that the public feel disenfranchised and excluded from AI decision-making, and mistrust key institutions. 84% fear that, when regulating AI, the government will prioritise its partnerships with large technology companies over the public interest.

Michael Birtwistle, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute, added: “Examples of the unmanaged risks – and sometimes fatal harms – of AI systems are increasingly making the headlines. Trust is built with meaningful incentives to manage harm. We see these incentives in food, aviation and medicines – consequential technologies like AI should not be treated any differently. Continued inaction on AI harms will come with serious costs to the potential benefits of adoption.”

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