The UK’s most searched fears about AI, revealed by new search data

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Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life in the UK, from workplace automation and customer service chatbots to generative tools used for writing, design and research. While adoption continues to accelerate, new data suggests public concern is growing alongside it.

A new analysis of UK search behaviour conducted by Vendo Digital reveals what people are most worried about when it comes to AI, based on the questions they are asking privately online.

Using Google search volume data from the past 12 months, the study highlights a clear pattern of anxiety centred around job security, safety, trust and the misuse of AI technologies.

Job security is the UK’s biggest AI concern

The most consistent theme across all AI-related fear searches is anxiety about employment.

Queries such as “will AI take my job” are searched hundreds of times each month in the UK, making job displacement one of the most common AI concerns identified in the data. Related searches including “AI job losses”, “AI replacing jobs” and “AI and unemployment” also feature prominently.

Profession-specific searches suggest this concern is widespread. People are actively searching to see whether AI can replace roles such as marketers, writers, accountants, lawyers, teachers, programmers and journalists, indicating unease across both creative and technical professions.

According to Alfie Wakelin, Head of SEO at Vendo Digital, who led the research and analyses search behaviour and online trends, the data reflects uncertainty rather than panic.

“Search data often reveals concerns people don’t necessarily voice publicly,” Alfie says. “What we’re seeing here isn’t rejection of AI, but a clear anxiety about how it might affect livelihoods. People are trying to understand where they stand and whether their roles are vulnerable.”

Safety and risk concerns follow closely behind

Beyond employment, many UK searches focus on whether AI itself poses a danger.

The analysis found that “is AI dangerous” is among the most frequently searched AI fear-related questions, alongside “AI risks” and “dangers of AI”. These queries suggest concern not just about automation, but about unintended consequences, lack of oversight and long-term societal impact.

Alfie notes that the language used in these searches is particularly telling.

“These are not exploratory or technical queries. They’re direct and emotive. That suggests people are worried about how quickly AI is advancing and whether the right safeguards are in place.”

Deepfakes, scams and deception are rising worries

Another area of growing concern is the misuse of AI for fraud and impersonation.

Searches related to “AI scams”, “deepfake scam” and “deepfake video” appear consistently in the data. While lower in volume than job-related fears, their presence points to increasing public awareness of AI-enabled deception.

High-profile cases involving voice cloning, fake celebrity endorsements and manipulated videos have brought these risks into sharper focus, and the search data suggests people are actively seeking reassurance and information.

Trust and accuracy remain unresolved issues

The study also highlights uncertainty around whether AI can be relied upon at all.

Searches such as “can AI lie”, “is AI reliable” and “AI misinformation” show that users are questioning the accuracy and trustworthiness of AI-generated content. This reflects wider concern about hallucinations, factual errors and the spread of false information as AI tools are used more widely for learning, work and decision-making.

“Usage is growing faster than trust,” Alfie explains. “People are clearly questioning whether AI outputs are dependable, particularly when it comes to information that could influence decisions.”

Ethics, regulation and data protection are on the public’s radar

Although smaller in overall volume, searches related to AI ethics, regulation and data protection appear consistently across the dataset.

Terms such as “AI ethics”, “AI laws UK” and “AI data protection” suggest concern about who controls AI systems, how they are governed and how personal data is handled.

This aligns with broader public debate around transparency, accountability and the role of regulation as AI technologies become more embedded in daily life.

Children and education raise particular concern

Search behaviour also indicates anxiety around AI’s role in schools and education.

Queries relating to AI and children, homework and exam use suggest parents and educators are questioning how these tools should be used responsibly, and what impact they may have on learning and development.

What the data reveals about public sentiment

Taken together, the findings suggest that concern about AI in the UK is complex and multi-layered.

Rather than a single dominant fear, the data reveals a combination of job insecurity, safety concerns, mistrust of information, ethical uncertainty and worry about misuse. Importantly, many of the most common searches are framed as questions rather than statements, pointing to a public seeking clarity rather than rejecting the technology outright.

As AI adoption continues to accelerate, the search behaviour suggests that reassurance, transparency and education have not yet caught up with the pace of change.

This study was conducted by Vendo Digital using Google Ads Keyword Planner data. Average monthly search volumes were analysed for the UK over the past 12 months using exact-match keyword formatting. Keywords were grouped into thematic clusters to identify patterns in public concern around artificial intelligence.

Methodology

This study was conducted by Vendo Digital using Google Ads Keyword Planner data. Average monthly search volumes were analysed for the UK over the past 12 months using exact-match keyword formatting. Keywords were grouped into thematic clusters to identify patterns in public concern around artificial intelligence.

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