Most Britons have negative opinions, but tobacco and gambling firms are far more unpopular
Key takeaways
- 59% of Britons have an unfavourable opinion of AI companies, while 22% are neutral and 16% are positive
- While 64-68% of Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters are negative about AI firms, Greens are much more likely to be “very negative” about AI (53%) than the others (33-35%)
- Most Tory and Reform voters (52-55%) also have negative opinions of the AI sector
- 41% of daily AI users are positive towards AI companies in general, although 34% are negative
- Most negatively viewed firms from our list of 20 are tobacco and gambling companies
With recent weeks having seen a great deal of debate about the threat that artificial intelligence poses to humanity, a recent YouGov survey found that Britons increasingly feel that AI may cause human extinction, think AI firms are under-regulated and untrustworthy, want to see the pace of development slowed down.
Where does all the recent negativity leave the reputation of the sector? Now a new YouGov survey takes a first look at what Britons think of AI companies, and how that compares to other industries that have a reputation for being unpopular, or which have been subject to criticism in recent times.
Our research shows that 59% of Britons have an unfavourable opinion of AI companies, including 32% with a “very unfavourable” view.
Set against this are the 22% who have a neither favourable now unfavourable view of the AI sector, as well as the 16% with an favourable view (including just 3% who are very positive towards such firms).
Nevertheless, there are other firms with a far worse reputation in the eyes of the British public. Topping the list are tobacco and gambling companies, which are both disliked by 79% of the public (including 54-57% who have very negative views of these sectors).
Also particularly unpopular are pornography companies (65%), social media companies (64%) and water companies (63%).
In terms of negativity, fast fashion is the industry that comes closest to matching public attitudes towards AI companies, with 60% having an unfavourable view (split evenly between 30% who are somewhat unfavourable and 30% who are very unfavourable).
However, notably more people have a favourable opinion of the AI sector (16%) than fast fashion (7%). In purely positive terms, the AI figures look closest to oil and gas extraction companies (also 16%, with both split 3% very favourable / 13% somewhat favourable) – although attitudes towards oil and gas companies are more neutral and less negative than for AI.
Returning to the negativity rankings shows that AI companies are seen somewhat more negatively than energy utility companies (54%), arms manufacturers (52%), news media (50%), ‘Big Tech’ firms (50%), and fast food (49%), among others.
How do attitudes to the artificial intelligence sector differ between voting groups?
While similar numbers of Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters all have negative views of AI companies (64-68%), the latter group are far more likely to have a “very negative” opinion (53%) than their red and orange counterparts (33-35%).
A majority of Conservative (55%) and Reform UK voters (52%) likewise have overall negative views of AI firms.
Within the broad sweep of all the industries we asked about, these relative voter group attitudes towards AI companies do not look remarkable, especially when compared to certain sectors like arms manufacturing and oil and gas extraction that much more clearly divide voters from parties of left and right.
Looking at other demographic variables shows that men and women give hold broadly the same impression of AI companies. While most in all age groups have negative views of AI companies,18-24 year olds prove to be the most negative (71% unfavourable) versus 25-49 year olds being the least unfavourable towards the sector (54%).
How do attitudes towards AI companies differ based on how often Britons use AI?
The more Britons use AI, the more likely they are to have a positive opinion of AI companies. Four in ten (41%) of those who use AI on a daily basis have a favourable opinion of the sector, although one in three (34%) still hold a negative view, while 25% are neutral. Among other usage groups, the majority are negative, ranging from 52-55% of those who use AI weekly or less frequently, 69% of those who have previously used AI but no longer do so, and 76% of those who have never used the technology.
Methodology
- Sample size: An online survey of 4,065 adults aged 18+ in Great Britain
- Fieldwork: 17-22 September 2026
- Commissioned by: YouGov
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Photo: Getty
