- Only 14% of UK consumers say they would trust autonomous AI agents
- Control, accountability and transparency would help create more trust
- Companies should also consider upgrading identity and permissions for stronger management
New findings from EY have claimed that three in four (74%) UK consumers have used AI in the past six months, quantifying widespread mainstream adoption – however only 14% said they would feel comfortable relying on fully autonomous, agent-style AI.
With such low confidence, the study shows a growing confidence gap between what AI is actually capable of and what users are comfortable with, implying that capability is no longer AI’s limiting factor.
Deepening its research on the topic, EY found that users are also demanding greater control, accountability and transparency from their tools.
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Trust gap shows that trust is AI’s limiting factor
The data shows that security and privacy are big concerns for users, with only around two in five trusting companies (43%) or governments (41%) to manage their AI data effectively, and three-quarters (73%) being concerned about AI systems being hacked or breached.
“As AI systems become more autonomous, trust must be embedded through strong data foundations, clear accountability and visible human oversight,” explained EY UK&I head Matthew Ringelheim.
At the same time, separate Ping Identity research also shows how identity and governance systems previously designed for humans are now struggling to keep up with the demands of autonomous AI.
The study reveals that AI agents can combine permissions in unintended ways to potentially bypass checks in blind spots.
“Currently, 58 percent of organizations describe their data as ‘chaos,’ which is more concerning as AI becomes increasingly autonomous,” OG Digital Data Chief Richard Bovey explained.
With AI’s use cases now proven, it’s time for companies to focus on getting implementation right, which starts with a strong foundation of governance, data readiness and trust.
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