Artificial Intelligence

Purpose + Mission 

We leverage our policy expertise to provide genuine insights for our clients about the nuances of AI, focusing on the needs of the public sector and the impact on the UK economy and wider society.

Approach 

The conversation around AI can often be polarised, focused on either the potential to revolutionise the economy and kickstart growth, or on the risks of replacing humans or causing devastating negative consequences. Our long track record of methodological and public policy expertise means Ipsos UK is uniquely placed to help navigate the nuance, revealing the drivers and barriers to adoption and use of AI, as well as understanding the opportunities and risks and what they mean for different parts of society.

Our evidence about the AI transition draws on insights from key audiences:

• Businesses
• Experts
• Academics
• Government stakeholders
• General public and services users
• Frontline staff in different sectors

We use a blend of traditional and more innovative research, evaluation and advisory approaches to help clients understand and navigate the AI transition. These include evaluations, surveys, and the full range of qualitative, ethnographic and passive methodologies. This multidisciplinary approach provides a holistic understanding of AI's current and future impact and leads to actionable outcomes and recommendations for our clients.

Senior leadership team 

Trinh TU, Managing Director, Ipsos Public Affairs	Daniel Cameron, Research Director, Ipsos	Jamie Douglas, Research Director, Ipsos
Email / Connect on |	Email / Connect on |	Email / Connect on

Case studies and key insights

For AI systems to be widely embraced and adopted by citizens, businesses and government services alike, people need to have confidence that the technology is safe, secure, well-governed and aligned with societal values and priorities. We help the public sector to develop AI solutions that communities understand and believe in, ensuring a more robust and future-ready economy.

Growth and productivity:

• This research explores the pivotal AI skills required in the evolving AI landscape, both now and within the next 10 years, with a focus on skills both for everyday life and work. Our research reveals that the UK faces significant AI skills shortages, particularly in interpreting AI outputs and understanding associated risks. The research reveals it’s not all about technical skills – skills for understanding AI outputs, evaluating their accuracy and anticipating their impact on people, workers and society are also crucial.

Responsible AI and ethics:

• This report examines the debates around the definition of responsible AI, with insights from ten distinguished UK experts, including eminent academics and leading regulators. By sparking a thoughtful discussion and providing practical insights, we aim to promote a better understanding of responsible AI and its application in real-world scenarios and discover how it can shape the future.

Public trust in AI:

• Our public attitudes tracker shows that people’s willingness to embrace AI is deeply tied to how it is used. Openness towards AI is dependent on the context – who uses it and for what purpose. Most notably, while there is receptiveness towards AI aiding human tasks, there remains significant resistance towards AI fully replacing humans in pivotal domains like healthcare, education, and welfare.

Supporting government to use AI:

• We are working with government to help embed AI-enabled approaches in research, evaluation and policy development. This has included workshops and training sessions for government departments and agencies, grounded in our knowledge of using AI in an informed way to improve outcomes and drive efficiencies.

Global attitudes to AI:

• Our global research on AI allows us to put the UK in a wider context. In our latest report we explore changing attitudes towards usage of AI, where AI will have the biggest impact, and what a future with AI looks like.