A new report from digital marketing and online directory Yell focusing on how consumers use AI technologies to interact with businesses has revealed which cities around the UK are currently most confident with the technology.
Using insight gained from surveys with more than 2,000 consumers and 1,000 businesses across the country, the report reveals that Cardiff is currently the most AI-savvy city based on the number of consumers currently using the technology on a regular basis.
According to Yell, 23% of Cardiff residents say they use AI technology daily, which puts the city significantly above the national average of 15%.
London falls just outside of the top 10, in 11th place with 14% of Londoners using AI every day.
Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Liverpool is the city predicted to see the most dramatic future increase in AI uptake, with two thirds (66%) of Liverpudlians predicting that they’ll use the tech daily, resulting in a 47% increase in those using AI versus today.
When survey respondents were asked which types of AI technology they use the most, the results highlighted some clear differences across the nation.
Nationally, banking apps are the most popular form of AI-based technology, with 59% of the population using them to help manage their finances more efficiently – although, in some cities such as Belfast, this figure is much higher with almost three quarters (72%) of residents using this form of technology.
In three cities across the UK, the most popular form of AI technology is digital assistants such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices. Glasgow is the city with the highest usage, at 62%, with Newcastle (57%), Norwich (55%) and Sheffield (48%) residents using the devices more than any other form of AI-based technology.
When looking at each of these technologies in isolation, Yell found there are some cities where some types of AI technology are much more popular than the national average. For example, Belfast residents favour financial planning, while smart home set-ups such as apps to control heating and lighting are favoured by those in Brighton.
Claire Miles, CEO of Yell, said: “As with any new technology, there will always be early adopters, however it’s interesting to see how different cities are further ahead with their shift to AI than others.
“With consumers becoming more comfortable with the AI technology, different marketplaces and ways of booking a job, getting an instant response by chatbot, paying securely online, this is an evolving area for businesses to take note of.”
