People across Europe are using artificial intelligence every day but most don’t realise it, according to new research from Equinix—the world’s digital infrastructure company.
From everyday uses like Google searches and health trackers, to the unseen benefits in drug discovery and pension planning, AI is already being integrated into everyday life. Most people feel confident they understand how AI works (56%), yet just 33% recognise they use AI-powered services or applications daily. 18% even say they never use them, revealing a clear knowledge gap in public understanding of this budding technology.
The survey—which includes insights from 6,000 respondents across Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK—found a surprising 77% of people living across the region aren’t worried about the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in society. In fact, over half of people feel confident in AI already, which when compared to early confidence rates of past innovations like the internet or mobile phone, suggests AI is set to be the quickest adopted new technology in modern history.
Bruce Owen, EMEA President at Equinix, noted: “AI is already in your pocket, on your wrist and in your inbox, but this data shows most people don’t realise it. If we want to harness the real potential of AI, we need a greater understanding of how we’re already using it. Innovation starts with education.
“AI platforms can now design drug molecules that reach clinical trials in under 18 months rather than several years, enable smart home thermostats to learn daily routines and the carbon intensity of the grid to save energy and costs, and even enhance food quality, optimising production processes and reducing waste.”
“None of this progress is possible without the infrastructure that connects it. At Equinix, we connect people across the globe, but connection alone isn’t enough. Confidence without true understanding risks slowing adoption and limiting AI’s potential to transform health, economies, and society. Now is the time for governments and industry to prioritise AI education alongside infrastructure development, so innovation is embraced with clarity, not confusion.”
Historically, every great innovation has faced uncertainty and misunderstanding, from the arrival of the internet to the phones we now carry everywhere. Yet each of these technologies have become an essential part of how we live and work. They have unlocked huge innovation and impact across vital areas of society, such as communications, healthcare, entertainment and more.
With early consumer confidence in AI already ahead of and bucking historical trends, the data suggests an opportunity for a new era of innovation. To fulfil this potential, it is now essential to increase understanding of what AI is, how it works and what it is already doing for us.
Other key findings from the research reveal:
— Over half of EMEA respondents (56%) feel confident they understand how AI works.
— Confidence varies sharply across age groups, with 72% of under-35s feeling confident, compared to just 41% of those aged 55 and over.
— A notable gender gap exists, with 62% of men reporting confidence in AI versus only 50% of women.
— 4 in 5 (77%) EMEA consumers do not feel concerned or fearful about AI’s growing role in society
— A third (33%) of consumers across EMEA claim to use AI-powered services or applications daily, with a quarter (25%) using AI a few times per week.
— The Age of Intelligence has arrived, and AI is a key part of that. But AI doesn’t live in silos. Distributed AI is already redefining industries, accelerating discovery, and unlocking endless possibilities. But innovation cannot thrive without greater public knowledge to ensure the technology is accessible, accepted and used efficiently at scale.
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