LONDON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- British drivers are increasingly comfortable with artificial intelligence-powered assistance features in their cars, although many remain cautious about fully autonomous vehicles, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
The study, commissioned by Chinese electric vehicle maker XPENG, found that drivers in Britain generally welcomed technology designed to support human judgement, but were less ready to hand over full control to automated systems.
Across the six European countries covered by the research, between 42 percent and 53 percent of respondents said they felt comfortable with commonly used driver-assistance functions. These include adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition and lane-keeping systems.
However, acceptance fell sharply when AI was described as taking over the driving process or making emergency decisions. Only 13 percent of European respondents said they would feel comfortable travelling in a fully self-driving car, while 53 percent expressed little or no trust in AI in cars.
British respondents were among the more cautious groups surveyed. Some 34 percent said they trusted AI in cars, while comfort levels for lane assistance and traffic-jam assistance were below the European average.
The findings also highlighted a gap between familiarity and confidence. Although 82 percent of European respondents said they understood AI, only 21 percent felt comfortable with so-called Physical AI which means systems that operate in real-world environments and make decisions with practical consequences.
Attitudes varied considerably across Europe. Respondents in Spain were comparatively open to AI-powered mobility, with 63 percent expressing trust in AI in cars. Britain and Sweden recorded lower trust levels of 34 percent and 32 percent respectively.
The study identified several factors that could encourage wider acceptance. 57 percent of European respondents said they would view AI-powered mobility more positively if there were credible evidence that it could improve sustainability, such as by reducing emissions or easing traffic congestion.
"Physical AI has the potential to transform how people move, live and interact with technology. But this research shows that capability alone will not drive adoption -- trust will," said Brian Gu, vice chairman and president of XPENG.
"Trust is built when technology is safe, transparent and designed around real human needs," he said.
The research was conducted by independent agency Improof Research among representative consumer samples in Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and Poland, involving a total of 5,107 respondents. The fieldwork was carried out from May 1 to May 14. ■
