The British workforce is less trusting of artificial intelligence (AI) than other countries, especially when there is no human oversight, new data from software firm Salesforce has revealed.
Workers in the UK and Ireland are 28 per cent less likely to trust AI to be used in their job compared to the global average.
“We’re in the middle of an AI revolution and the UK is poised to benefit from a fast-moving innovation cycle led by generative AI,” Zahra Bahrololoumi, Salesforce UK&I chief executive, told City A.M.
“The UK is home to so many incredible businesses and there is growing AI talent and investment coming from our Capital, cementing London as a world-leader in AI. However, as we move from development to implementation, businesses and all stakeholders have a responsibility to provide opportunities for people to train and upskill,” she said.
The UK government has forecast the nation’s AI market to boom to over $1 trillion by 2035, with many thinking the technology could be a silver bullet in fixing the UK’s poor productivity levels.
But a lack of trust may jeopardise the growth and success of the UK’s burgeoning AI economy.
Salesforce also found that over 90 per cent do not trust AI to operate or keep data safe without human oversight.
According to the views of almost 1,400 full-time desk workers in the UK and Ireland, trust factors include usefulness, accuracy and human involvement.
In what could be considered a more positive sign, just over half of those surveyed trust AI to keep data safe when there is human oversight.
Bahrololoumi added that trust is at the centre of the challenge.
She said: “We have to be able to trust AI. Trustworthy AI is as much about the people as it is about the technology.
“AI will evolve rapidly and it is not without risk, so ensuring we keep humans at the helm of AI will increase adoption across the workplace whilst ensuring inclusivity and safety.”