- More than half of UK adults feel uncomfortable interacting with robots on a daily basis
- Limited exposure generates anxiety: only 30% of Britons know about robots
- Domestic robots cause the greatest reluctance, especially in domestic environments
More than half of British adults say they are uncomfortable around robots, making the UK the most robot-anxious nation globally.
A survey conducted by Hexagon in nine markets, involving 18,000 participants, found that 52% of UK respondents were concerned about potential problems when interacting with robots.
This is higher than the global average of 42%, which experts partly relate to the limited exposure many Britons have to robots.
Article continues below.
Limited exposure fuels public concern
Low exposure may be driving anxiety, as only 30% of Brits say they have ever encountered a robot in their daily lives, while in China the figure is 75%.
Britons express their greatest reluctance in domestic environments: 39% say they feel uncomfortable with robots in domestic environments.
In industrial applications, such as factories and warehouses, robots are slightly more accepted, but comfort levels are still below the global average.
Security concerns are the main reason for high levels of anxiety: 53% cited the risk of robots being hacked or misused as their main concern.
Some Britons (41%) also fear that robots could malfunction and cause physical harm.
Observers note that fear usually diminishes once people meet a robot in person, especially smaller, more accessible models.
“Around the world, people are not simply for or against robots. They are asking where robots belong, what they should do, and what safeguards should come first,” said Burkhard Boeckem, CTO of Hexagon.
“In the UK, the message is especially clear: trust declines when robots feel distant or unknown. Trust breaks down when robots are pushed into everyday or domestic functions before governance, safeguards and human control are clearly established.”
Like robots, Brits don’t want data centers near them, although national support for expansion remains high.
A survey of more than 2,100 UK adults by YouGov reveals that only 44% of Gen Z respondents support a local data centre, with 31% actively opposing one, despite national support for new facilities reaching 69%.
Much of the opposition among younger voters is driven by environmental considerations, including concerns about energy consumption and water use.
Although there are arguments about job creation and potential economic benefits, they are insufficient to offset environmental concerns.
This “not in my backyard” attitude means local realities may clash with wider national priorities, as the UK plans to more than double data center capacity by 2030.
In both robotics and data infrastructure, trust emerges as a central barrier that strongly influences public perception, acceptance and resistance.
Britons may embrace automation in areas where the benefits are clear, including performing dangerous tasks or improving efficiency.
But reluctance persists when technologies are unfamiliar or perceived to threaten control.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
