New research released by KPMG UK suggests that while some Scots would use AI to support everyday tasks, 82% have concerns or challenges that prevent them from using it.

Ian West, head of technology and alliances at KPMG UK, said: “AI is incredible technology with huge potential but there is much for businesses to think about when it comes to consumers’ views of AI. There are several barriers to adoption that need to be addressed by tech companies and by businesses who are rolling out the technology.

“Businesses need to be clear about the benefits of the technology and how it is transforming the proposition available to consumers for it to become accepted.”

The survey of 250 Scottish consumers and 3000 consumers across the UK found that one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption is that respondents prefer interacting with another human (47%).

However, this stat dramatically shifted among age groups: more than half of the 55 to 64 and the over 65 age groups said they wouldn’t use AI because they prefer human interaction, while this dropped to less than a third for the 18 to 24 age group.

“There are issues that you can’t really get around like preferring to interact with a human, however the integration of smarter AI that adapts to a consumer’s conversation style and preferences may help the interaction seem more natural,” West commented.

“Businesses should look at why consumers prefer to interact with a human – is it because they can have a broader conversation? Is it because they think there is less chance of error? Is it because they want to negotiate? Once they consider these possibilities, then it could become easier for them to shape the narrative around why they have chosen to use AI and the benefits compared to if it was a human.”

Scots had concerns as well as preferences, the survey found. Over a third of Sots (36%) surveyed reported that they have data privacy concerns which stopped them from using AI.

18 to 24 year olds were the age group most concerned with data privacy, with 37% expressing fears.

“Data privacy concerns also seem to be very prevalent amongst consumers,” West said. “Tech companies and regulators need to look at what can be done to protect data and ease concerns if these technologies are to become widely adopted. This is becoming increasingly important as AI integrates more and more into our everyday lives, whether that be talking to a customer service chatbot or using a voice assistant in your home.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently released a risk toolkit surrounding AI and data protection, which has caused concerns since the launch of large language models like ChatGPT. Consumers are unsure on how their data is protected from use for AI to train itself on, how their data is stored, and how they can secure their data from AI’s use.

Italy even banned ChatGPT temporarily while it grappled with how the tool’s data usage would fall under GDPR.

“As is often the case, regulation has fallen behind the development of the technology and it is important that this catches up if AI is to become mainstream. The recently published AI regulation whitepaper is a promising step in the right direction to address privacy concerns with AI,” West added.

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While 18-24 year olds were more likely to be open to using AI, almost half (45%) reported cost as the biggest barrier to adoption, citing that AI-enabled technologies were too expensive.

Voice assistances was the most popular answer (47%) when Scots were asked which tasks and activities they’d be open to using AI for, with self-driving vehicles the least popular answer (23%).

Across the UK, 18-24 year old, are most likely to use AI for tasks and activities such as facial recognitions as a security key, chatbots for customer service and shopping, with only 7% saying they wouldn’t use AI for any tasks.

This is in contrast to over 65s, who are more hesitant, with over a third saying they would not use AI for any tasks.

Saving time was the most popular primary motivation chosen by Scots for why they would use AI, which 37% of respondents choosing the answer.

Only 14% of Scottish consumers surveyed said they thought that the development of AI and its applications will support jobs, with 38% believing it threatens them and 36% believing it will equally support and threaten jobs – 12% remained unsure.