From Unemployment to Civil Unrest — What Britons Really Think About AI

Artificial intelligence is no longer being discussed in Britain as a distant technology story. It is now part of a sharper public debate about jobs, wages, young people, education, company power and whether the benefits of automation will be shared fairly.

A King’s College London study, reported by Euronews and published by KCL’s Policy Institute and Institute for Artificial Intelligence, surveyed 2,000 UK adults, 1,002 young people aged 16–29, 1,000 university students and 506 UK employers between April 16 and 29, 2026. The clearest finding is that Britons are watching AI with more fear than excitement, especially when it comes to work.