AI & SOCIETY
Beyond the machine: risk, fear, optimism and the foundations of public trust in AI
Abstract What drives public trust in artificial intelligence (AI)? This study examines the individual and institutional foundations of AI trust across two contrasting democracies: Japan and the United Kingdom. Drawing on original survey data ( N = 3235), we test a set of hypotheses derived from trust-transfer perspectives and self-efficacy research, covering institutional trust, AI self-efficacy, technological optimism, perceived societal threat, and job displacement anxiety. The results show that trust in AI is sh …