A survey has found that charities risk losing the public’s trust if they use artificial intelligence to influence decisions about who needs help.

According to the survey of 3,000 adults carried out by CharityTracker two in five say they believe it is “unacceptable” to use AI in this way, compared to one in three who back its deployment in making such decisions.

Older people are more likely to be concerned, with almost half against AI used in decisions around the allocation of frontline support.

Overall, the survey found the public is divided about charities’ use of the technology. While more than a third are positive about charities using AI, a similar proportion are unsure, and more than one in four feel negative.

The most backed uses of AI by charities by the public include to detect fraud and in improving productivity of back-office functions.

Opinion is divided over the use of chatbots to answer enquiries, with two in five backing its use by charities, compared to three in ten who find it unacceptable. Just under half of those surveyed said it is important they can speak to a human when contacting a charity.

Among those surveyed two in five have used chat or writing assistants in the last year, more than a third have used voice assistants, while just under a third report no personal AI use at all.

CharityTracker says its findings show there is concern among the public about AI being used by charities to make “high-stakes judgements, rather than opposition to the technology itself”.

It added: “Even where people recognise potential efficiency gains, there is a clear expectation that decisions affecting access to help remain human-led, accountable, and transparent.”

CharityTracker executive director Ashley Rowthorn said: “Charities are rightly exploring AI to manage pressure on services and use their resources more effectively, but this research shows how easy it is to get this wrong.

“The public is not rejecting AI outright. Where it supports people, protects funds, or improves efficiency, there is real permission.

“But when it starts to replace human judgement in decisions about who receives help, trust quickly falls away.

She added that “familiarity with AI also plays a role” with its use more likely to be backed by those who have used it personally recently.”

CharityTracker is urging charities to ensure they have strong governance in place over the use of AI, and are transparency about its use.

“Human accountability is essential to maintaining public confidence,” said Rowthorn.

A separate survey released this month found that charity job candidates are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their chances of securing role and future career prospects in the sector.

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