Artificial Intelligence will be the most relevant technology in Britain in the next 10 years, say two thirds of UK respondents

• Mandatory labelling of Artificial Intelligence-generated content is supported by 87% of people in the UK
• Over half of people in the UK (54%) hope that artificial intelligence (AI) will solve global health issues
• Educating yourself on artificial intelligence is the most important step a person can take to prepare for the age of AI, say 62% of people in the UK

Denham – 65% of UK respondents in Bosch’s Tech Compass 2024 survey believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will be the most relevant technology in Britain in the next 10 years, a significant increase from 38% in the 2023 report.

Bosch’s annual Tech Compass survey will be launched this year at the prestigious Bosch Connected World conference held in Berlin, Germany on February 28-29. The global research report asks more than 11,000 people about their attitude towards technology, and this insight shines a light on public perceptions on technological progress and considers the opportunities and risks of technology and AI.

How AI is viewed and its contribution to society
This is set to be a transformational year in the evolution of artificial intelligence and whilst the Tech Compass shows that Brits still have concerns around AI technology, 34% of UK respondents think AI will make a positive contribution to society, an increase from 27% in 2023.

Vonjy Rajakoba, Managing Director, Bosch UK comments: “This latest Tech Compass highlights that people in the UK are more aware of the benefits artificial intelligence can bring and we echo people’s views that AI can make a positive contribution to our society. We acknowledge the concerns that the UK, and people globally, have around AI, and we welcome the industry initiative driven by the UK to open AI models for review by Britain’s AI Safety Institute. At Bosch, we are striving to implement this technology in trustworthy and explainable way with a focus on industrial applications.”

One of the strongest outcomes of the survey is British people’s desire to see labels applied to AI-generated content, with 87% of people agreeing that this should be mandatory.

Using AI to solve global health issues
When asked what real-world problems they hope AI will be able to solve, over half of people in the UK (54%) hope that AI will solve global health issues, and 43% hope that they will personally benefit from better health as a result of AI.

One example of this includes Bosch’s SoundSee sensor and asthma monitor system, launched in partnership with non-profit healthcare company Highmark Health in Pittsburgh, USA, which uses AI to predict when a child is about to have an asthma attack, even before the child can feel a change to their breathing.

Even the quietest sounds are picked up by the sensor, and it uses AI to identify differences in a child’s breathing pattern. The technology is aimed at particularly young children who may not have the experience of understanding that they’re about to have an asthma attack.

AI could be key to addressing food poverty and hunger
40% of UK respondents hoped that AI would be able to solve global food poverty and hunger. Just last year, a team of experts from Bosch UK, BASF Digital Farming, Chafer Machinery and Rothamsted Research introduced precision farming technology and AI to help reduce the persistent problem of black-grass in UK farms.

Black-grass (alopecurus myosuroides) is a weed that inhibits the growth of wheat crop, reducing its yield and therefore damaging the productivity of farms. It is one of the biggest challenges facing farmers in the UK today and it is threatening the sustainability of UK cereal production. It is estimated that the weed is responsible for annual wheat losses of up to 800,000 tons.

The smart sprayer technology uses AI to identify which crops are black-grass and which are normal crops, allowing the farmer to only spray the parts of the field that have been affected by black-grass, thus saving money and reducing herbicide use.

Bosch UK has written the AI algorithm to make this technology work and it is currently being tested on commercial farms selected from the Rothamsted Black-Grass Research Initiative.

Vonjy Rajakoba continues: “We know that AI has a fundamental role to play in addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges, and we are constantly looking for new ways that we can utilise this technology for the greater good. The SoundSee sensor and asthma monitor system and the black-grass farming project are just two examples and we’re excited to see how we can develop technologies using AI to create a better quality of life for everyone.”

Education is key to better understanding AI
Generative AI will change our world to a degree comparable to what the rise of the internet did, according to 68% of UK respondents. Only 35% of Brits feel personally prepared for the era of AI and 62% of respondents felt that the most important step a person can take to prepare for the era of AI is educating themselves.

The outlook for the country as a whole is also relatively optimistic, with 50% of respondents believing the UK is well prepared for the advancing technological progress in the field of AI, compared to 46% globally.

Vonjy Rajakoba added: “Bosch plays a vital role in demonstrating to people in the UK and across the globe the positive benefits that artificial intelligence technologies can bring, and how this technology can improve everyday life. We acknowledge that as this technology evolves further, businesses must use AI to make many positive impacts that benefit society as a whole, for life.”

Click here to read the Tech Compass 2024 report.

Contact person for press enquiries
James Bolton: +44 1895 87-8049
James.Bolton@uk.bosch.com
Twitter: @BoschPress

About the study
The study included 11,264 respondents globally, with 1,001 respondents in the UK. People aged 18 and over in seven countries (Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, the UK, and the USA) were polled online on behalf of Robert Bosch GmbH by the market researchers Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH (GIM) in December 2023.

About the Bosch Group
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 428,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which roughly 48,000 are software engineers.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a corporation owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.