Brands must focus on highlighting AI's real world benefits rather than the underlying technology. Addressing concerns over reliability and fostering trust will be vital for AI to reach its potential.
UK
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
simple
UK Consumers and AI: 2025
"Brands must focus on highlighting AI's real world benefits rather than the underlying technology. Addressing concerns over reliability and fostering trust will be vital for AI to reach its potential."
Joe Birch, Senior Analyst – Technology & Leisure
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Opportunities
Embrace multimodal AI to drive accuracy and elevate the shopping experience
The race is on to be the personal assistant of choice
Brands must double down on transparency and accuracy to address consumer scepticism
Market dynamics and outlook
Market outlook for consumers and AI
Cheaper, leaner models, hybrid AI and Quantum breakthroughs to push AI capabilities
There is widespread consumer concern over AI’s impact
Graph 1: concerns over AI’s impact, 2023 and 2024
Law seeks to enhance AI’s role and influence in society
What consumers want and why
Consumer knowledge and understanding of AI is growing
Graph 2: knowledge of AI, 2023 and 2024
Unlock the learning potential of AI
Graph 3: trust in AI tools and services, 2024
Brands must think about visibility in the Gen AI age
Graph 4: use of AI tools, 2024
Consumers prefer the expert human touch
Graph 5: attitudes towards AI, 2024
Leverage AI to create excitement with consumers
Graph 6: perceptions of AI benefits, 2024
Focus on seamless convenience in shopping experience
Graph 7: attitudes towards AI, 2024
Positive engagement will lead to monetisation opportunities
Graph 8: attitudes towards AI, 2024
Innovation and marketing
Big tech doubles down on AI innovations
And AI gets embedded in hardware
MARKET DYNAMICS
Market background
The evolution of AI
The recent evolution of AI
Nearly three in five worried about the potential for AI to replace humans
Concern over AI can lead to mistrust in its ability
Regulatory landscape
EU introduces AI act
The UK seeks shared solutions on governance
UK introduces the AI Opportunities Action Plan
Government consults on use of AI in the creative industries
Market drivers
7 in ten consumers exhibit concern over AI’s impact
Graph 9: concerns over AI’s impact, 2023 and 2024
Showcasing AI’s potential through real-world applications builds familiarity
Graph 10: attitudes towards generative AI chatbots, 2024
Automated Vehicles Act becomes law in 2024
Consumers worry about driverless car revolution
AI innovations appeal to those in higher income households
DeepSeek-R1 disrupts the AI market
ChatGPT’s resurgence dominates the AI Chatbot landscape
The environmental cost of AI could see increased regulation on use and green alternatives
Quantum computing could usher in the next ChatGPT moment
Tech bosses call for greater freedoms in copyright law to train AI models
AI’S INFLUENCE IN CONSUMER MARKETS
AI in search
Consumers have more options to search for information
Graph 11: online platform consumers go to first when searching for information, 2024
AI in media
AI can be a curator of home entertainment and drive accessibility options
Younger generations want AI transparency in music
Graph 12: “I want to know if the music I am listening to has been created mostly with AI”, by generation, 2024
Creative industries see unease about AI’s role in artistry
Growth in Generative AI could transform the games market
Evolving AI can drive down development costs while bringing innovation for gamers
AI in retail
AI has the potential to help improve the online shopping experience
Graph 13: interest in using AI when shopping online, 2024
Capitalising on tech developments
Using AI to improve the online experience
Brands incorporate AI into retail offering to drive visibility and personalisation
The hype builds around agentic shopping
However scepticism towards AI-based services is high
AI in wellness
Holistic wellness AIs could support total wellbeing
AI in finance
AI can help minimise admin in insurance
Graph 14: attitudes towards AI in insurance, 2024
AI can power the next generation of personal finance super-apps
AI in sustainability and accessibility
Dispel fears that AI will marginalise people further
Graph 15: think artificial intelligence (AI) will marginalise disabled people further (eg will not account for accessibility needs, lack of representation for disabilities), by physical/cognitive issue, 2024
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
Awareness and use of AI
Consumers are increasingly knowledgeable about AI
Graph 16: knowledge of AI, 2023 and 2024
Knowledge gap evident between generations
Graph 17: knowledge of AI by generation, 2024
Brands must prepare for a search and decision revolution
Graph 18: use of AI tools, 2024
Create the vision of AI as a helper to engage boomers
Graph 19: use of AI chatbots past six months, by generation, 2024
Tap into upside of productivity gains
Unleash consumers creative side in brand collabs with AI tools
Graph 20: use of AI image creator tools by age and gender, 2024
Trust in AI
Unlock the learning potential of AI
Graph 21: trust in AI tools and services, 2024
Gaining trust will be crucial to bring older audiences into AI’s fold
Fitness and wellness can be beneficiaries of the AI boom
The financially resilient are more likely than overall to trust AI in everyday lives
Younger consumers trust more in AI’s ability to provide personal advice
Graph 22: trust in use of AI in lifestyle areas, by generation, 2025
Holistic lifestyle advice at a touch of a button
The role of AI in consumers’ lives
Consumers still value the human touch
Graph 23: attitudes towards AI customer service and advice, 2024
Vigilance and oversight will be crucial in use of customer serving AI
Graph 24: agreements that AI advice is as valuable as humans, by generation, 2024
Encourage users to try AI customer service with fun interactions
Push AI benefit to human professional development
Graph 25: attitudes towards AI in consumers lives, 2024
Highlight the man-made artisanal appeal to stand out
Highlight benefits to overcome concerns on privacy
Graph 26: attitudes towards AI in data privacy, 2024
Attitudes towards AI
Focus on getting people to try AI to help build case for AI’s accuracy
Graph 27: perception of AI accuracy, 2024
Impressions of AI accuracy decrease with age
Convenience is at the heart of tech success, promote this for AI to resonate
Graph 28: impressions of AI tools and services, 2024
Convenient curation of vast swathes of content and information can be a success story for AI
Create the excitement factor of AI to engage younger audiences
Graph 29: impressions of AI tools and services, 2024
Beware of consumer backlash around over-hyping AI’s capabilities
Graph 30: impressions of AI tools and services, 2024
Consumers are more concerned over the dangers AI represents
Graph 31: impressions of AI tools and services, 2024
Attitudes towards AI
Brands need to double down on consumer protection
Graph 32: attitudes towards AI and society, 2024
Promote AI’s vision for society’s benefit more
Graph 33: attitudes towards Big tech companies developing AI have the best interests of people at heart, by generation 2024
Demonstrate the shortcuts to aid AI’s use
Graph 34: attitudes towards AI tools and services, 2024
Younger consumers expect AI for free
Evidence your AI to foster trust and acceptance
Graph 35: attitudes towards AI tools and services, 2024
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
Competitive strategies
NVIDIA lays the platform for digital human creation and reasoning AI
Google aims to increase penetration of AI across its services
Microsoft focuses on productivity gains in its AI offering
Amazon focuses on building infrastructure for AI development
Amazon’s AI revamp of Alexa assistant announced
OpenAI introduces premium subscription level
Samsung rolls out AI features across hardware
Samsung outlines its AI for all strategy at CES 2025
Apple launches Apple Intelligence for contextual support
Meta ushers in the age of the AI agent
New AI space race as models aim to outcompete
Launch activity and innovation
Alexa gets Generative AI upgrades
Amazon and SmartThings debut map views for smart home management
More retailers add AI-driven digital assistants to their arsenal
Consumers optimistic about AI enhancing the shopping experience
Travel sector leverages AI for streamlined operations
Brands push personalised AI driven workouts
AI smart mirror aims to be a digital PT
APPENDIX
Report scope and definitions
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations and terms cont.
Consumer research methodology
UK Consumers and AI – Key Facts
82% of consumers would prefer to speak to a human customer service representative than use an AI chatbot. It highlights the trade-off brands must make between accessible and convenient AI solutions, and consumer need for trusted, human oversight.
50% of consumers who have heard of AI, consider it “overhyped”, compared to 14% who consider it “underhyped”. Despite AI grabbing headlines, consumers are yet to be convinced of its value, with many also considering it a “dangerous” technology.
40% of consumers who have heard of AI would trust it to help them learn. The opportunity for brands is to place AI technology as an enabler – to help upskill consumer behaviour and knowledge, rather than seeking to replace it.
This report looks at the following areas:
Consumers knowledge and experience of AI, and how this translates into acceptance of new AI technologies
How AI is being used across markets, the opportunities for brands to deliver convenience and personalisation using AI
Competitive strategies and innovations of companies operating in the AI development space, and how this will shape the market for consumer products
Consumer awareness and use of AI tools, and predictions of future trends in this space
Consumer trust in AI tools for everyday life, and what this means for brands developing tools and services
Attitudes towards AI, including consumer sentiment and perceptions of AI’s harms and advantages. How brands can balance the upside of AI solutions with consumer preference for human interaction
Instant delivery when paying by credit card, invoice orders may take longer
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Save 10% when you purchase two reports together.
Save 15% when you purchase three reports together.
Save 20% when your purchase four or more together.
Discount automatically applied at checkout
Need help before you buy?
Our research specialists can answer your questions and recommend the reports that best match your business needs.
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
Need help before you buy?
Our research specialists can answer your questions and recommend the reports that best match your business needs.