New research has found that 42 per cent of people in the UK think the government should regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and 11 per cent consider the government responsible if something goes wrong with AI.

London-headquartered law firm Bristows commissioned Censuswide to survey a representative sample of 2,103 people, finding that half do not trust AI with their personal data.

The research also revealed that 62 per cent think they have never been in contact with an AI application, while 47 per cent of respondents believed AI will have negative effects on society.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger people were better disposed towards AI than older ones, even though they are at a higher risk of losing their job to a robot during their lifetime.

People were almost evenly split between those who would automate their job, those who wouldn't and those who didn’t know.

In April, the government announced that it is collaborating with more than 50 businesses and organisations to develop a £1 billion deal to put the UK at the forefront of the AI industry.

London has already been dubbed the AI capital of Europe, with double the number of AI firms as closest rivals Paris and Berlin combined, according to research commissioned by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence published a report in the spring stating that the UK has a unique opportunity to shape AI positively for the public’s benefit, although it noted that AI will undoubtedly change the employment landscape, with many jobs disappearing at the same time others are created.

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