- Nearly half of British adults would eliminate generative AI entirely if they had the choice
- 18-24-year-olds most likely to eliminate GenAI and block new data center projects
- Public sentiment around AI has actually fallen since ChatGPT was launched
New YouGov data has found nearly half (42%) of British adults would get rid of generative AI entirely if they could, with a further fifth (22%) undecided about whether they actually like the technology or not.
Maybe the biggest shock is that younger citizens aged 18-24 are among the most likely to want to get rid of AI – 55% would make it disappear if they could. All older age groups are less inclined to feel so strongly.
Considering only 27% of the youngest age group would not eliminate GenAI, it means that they’re twice as likely to want to get rid of it, even though other studies indicate they could be among its most active users.
Younger users are most likely to turn against AI, multiple studies find
While autonomous, agentic AI is dominating the headlines for its ability to act on users’ behalves, generative AI is still prevalent due to its ability to create content from existing context. Its uses cases span search engines, smartphones, productivity software, social media platforms, customer service systems and a lot more.
Despite multibillion-dollar investments from companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and Meta to try and embed this technology seamlessly into the apps and services we use daily, it’s clear that the British public still see it as a hindrance.
But more than that, the public still worries that AI could replace human jobs as tech giants continue to announce sweeping layoffs years after generative AI reached mass popularity in late 2022.
As for why younger audiences might be more anti-AI, it could just be that greater exposure creates greater scepticism. 18-24-year-olds are also generally the most likely to use social media platforms, where AI-generated misinformation is frequently disseminated, and they’re also among those hardest hit by an apparent loss in entry-level job roles.
AI trust has fallen since ChatGPT
Separately, a 2025 study exploring public perception of AI before and after ChatGPT found a drop in satisfaction, noting higher support for human-only decision-making and lower support for AI-only decision-making.
“The proportion of respondents finding AI ‘not acceptable at all’ increased from 23% to 30%,” the authors summarized.
Unease, poor trust and dissatisfaction surrounding AI are actually global themes, with another US-biased study revealing that 50% of Americans feel more concerned than excited about the tech. Among the cited effects are poorer creative thinking and relationship forming, but Americans are slightly more optimistic about AI’s impacts on problem solving.
YouGov also asked UK citizens about their perception of ChatGPT specifically, ahead of the company’s IPO. The response was largely positive, with consumer trust in OpenAI’s offering generally higher than the average.
Environmental and sustainability concerns are also of great importance when it comes to public perception – several US states, cities and regions have imposed moratoriums on new data center projects in recent months, citing energy, water and land constraints.
Nearly half (48%) of UK adults said they would oppose a new AI data center in their local area, compared with support from just 20% – again, a sentiment that was most apparent among younger citizens, which challenges preconceptions that 18-24-year-olds are the most pro-AI.
So while tech giants continue to pour billions into the AI race, it’s clear they still have to win over the exact citizens their products target.
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