New research from PensionBee, a leading online pension provider, reveals that Londoners are far more enthusiastic about using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage their finances compared to the rest of the UK.
A nationally representative survey of 1,000 UK adults examining attitudes toward AI in pension customer support revealed that 80% of Londoners trust AI to provide accurate financial support advice either ‘completely’ or ‘somewhat’. This level of trust is significantly higher than in other parts of the UK, where only 62% of respondents expressed the same confidence.
Furthermore, 68% of Londoners feel positive about AI being used alongside human customer support agents for pension queries, underscoring a clear regional divide in attitudes toward technology in financial services. This compares to 54% of respondents in other parts of the UK who share the same sentiment.
The data suggests that Londoners are more comfortable with a hybrid approach – an outcome also observed in a previous PensionBee survey – where AI enhances efficiency while human agents provide personalised support, perhaps reflecting a greater openness to technological innovation in managing their pensions.
London leads the way in AI awareness and adoption
Perhaps unsurprisingly for the UK’s financial and technological hub, Londoners also demonstrate a greater familiarity with AI.
91% are familiar with the technology, with 45% claiming to be ‘very familiar’, compared to 80% and 30% respectively in the rest of the UK. This familiarity translates into action: 55% of Londoners have frequently or occasionally used AI to manage their finances, in contrast to the 32% adoption rate in the rest of the UK.
Luis Mejia, VP of Data at PensionBee, said: “These findings not only demonstrate the huge enthusiasm that Londoners have for AI-driven financial products, but also that combining AI with human support can really appeal to customers.
“The stark contrast between London and the rest of the UK, however, emphasises the importance of considering regional differences. A one-size-fits-all approach to integrating AI into finance products is unlikely to be successful.
Instead, finance companies first need to understand, then address, the reasons behind these different attitudes to ensure the benefits of AI are felt by all their customers.”
