Over 40% of people are limiting AI use, as popularity starts to wane.
People are increasingly choosing to limit or reject the use of AI tools, according to a new report published today by the Digital Futures Institute at King’s College London and Responsible Ai UK (RAi UK).
The AI: the growing UK pushback report reveals 42% of individuals deliberately limit the amount of AI they use, largely due to privacy and security concerns, including some of those who are positive about AI.
Read the report AI: the growing UK pushback
The report, which surveyed 2055 adults living in the UK by Deltapoll in June 2026, also shows that 70% think it would be difficult or impossible for them to avoid being exposed to AI even if they wanted to, raising questions about how people can meaningfully consent to the use of AI.
Other key findings from the report:
- People are becoming more cautious and negative about AI. Between October 2023* and June 2026, the share of UK adults who think AI has more risks than benefits has risen from 48% to 52%, while those who see more benefits than risks has fallen from 38% to 34%.
- While people are actively choosing to limit their use of AI tools, access to and awareness of AI do not automatically translate into regular use. When people choose not to use AI, it isn’t because they lack the skills.
- The most common reason chosen for limiting use is concern about data privacy, security and compliance (29%), and the second most common reason is a preference to keep doing work the way it is currently done (22%).
- Gen Z are more likely to use AI regularly than Millennials and Boomers, but they also feel AI has more risks than benefits and are more likely to limit their use of it. When asked to choose words to describe how they feel about AI, Millennials and Gen Z express themselves as ‘confident’ and ‘excited’, but Boomers are more likely to feel ‘angry’ and ‘nervous’.
- When asked to rate their feelings about public figures, places and groups, people were more positive about the NHS (63%) and wind turbines (51%) than they were about AI (29%).
Professor Kate Devlin, Chair-Director of the Digital Futures Institute at King’s College London, Deputy Chair Public Engagement, Outreach and Policy at RAi UK and co-author said: “Anti-AI sentiment seems to be on the rise, and we have been exploring people’s attitudes towards the technology. People need meaningful ways to consent to the use of AI, namely the ability to choose when it is applied, how it interacts with them, and how they can opt out where it matters.
“Employers and tech companies should be mindful that people are anxious about using AI tools, because they are worried it may compromise security and privacy. Our findings also show public attitudes are not split between a clear ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ AI. Many individuals hold both opinions at once. People acknowledge potential uses and benefits while simultaneously worrying about possible downsides.”
Professor Jack Stilgoe, Professor of Science and Technology Policy at UCL, Deputy Chair for Ecosystem Co-ordination Pillar at RAi UK and co-author stated: “The companies selling us new technology often assume that people most familiar with it will like it most.
“Our findings show that this isn’t true. People are becoming more concerned about AI over time, and even the people who use it most are ambivalent.”
ENDS
Notes for editors:
- The report features findings from the Deltapoll survey between 12 and 15 June 2026 and insights from a roundtable hosted at King’s College London on 24 February 2026 on AI: friction, rejection, and resistance.
- *Data from June 2026 was compared with October 2023 data from a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation survey carried out by Deltapoll to conduct research on public opinion towards AI safety ahead of the UK’s AI Safety Summit 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-survey-of-public-opinion-on-ai-safety.
- The full report, AI: the growing UK pushback – research briefing and initial findings are available to download here: http://doi.org/10.18742/pub01-262
Digital Futures Institute brings together expertise from across all disciplines at King’s to forge a better relationship between the individual and technology – through combining technological expertise with a deep understanding of human needs, cultures and behaviours, and by addressing questions of ethics, bias, transparency and responsibility. Through our research programmes, our educational courses and our external engagement activities, we reframe what are usually thought of as purely technical challenges – to be solved through technical fixes – as human and social challenges that require innovative ways of knowing, responding and making. We help build a future that is more conducive to living well with technology.
About King’s College London
King’s College London is amongst the top 40 universities in the world and 6th best in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2026), and one of England’s oldest and most prestigious universities. With an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research, King’s maintained its sixth position for ‘research power’ in the UK (2021 Research Excellence Framework). King’s has more than 42,000 students (including more than 12,800 postgraduates) from some 190 countries worldwide, and 8,500 staff. For almost 200 years, King’s has been a place where ideas turn into action. From revealing the structure of DNA to reimagining nursing, from advances in medicine, law and the study of war and peace to shaping culture and public debate, our work has always been guided by a belief that knowledge should serve society. Over our history, King’s has been home to 14 Nobel Prize winners, and to scholars whose ideas and leadership have shaped thinking, policy and practice around the world. King’s has always been a place where knowledge is put to work for the benefit of others. Visit the website to find out how we are taking that purpose forward through Strategy 2030. King’s Strategy 2030
About Responsible Ai UK (RAi UK)
With a £35 million UKRI investment, RAi UK is a program dedicated to delivering interdisciplinary research and fostering an international ecosystem for Responsible AI research and innovation. Through extensive consultations across the UK, RAi UK has identified emerging challenges in responsible AI and has deployed over £15 million into projects aimed at accelerating the adoption of responsible AI practices and technologies. RAi UK brings research-based expertise that is connective, adaptive, and world-leading through field-building and engagement with communities, publics, industries, and governments. For more information, visit www.rai.ac.uk.