People place less importance on numeracy than literacy when using AI, according to new research from businesses of the National Numeracy Leadership Council and published for National Numeracy Day (20 May).
A survey of 2,000 UK adults, carried out by Policy Connect and supported by KPMG UK, found that only 25% believe numeracy skills are needed to use AI tools, compared with 42% who say literacy skills are necessary.
Basic numeracy skills remain essential for people using AI to make sure they can critically evaluate and correctly interpret data, as well as check for errors, given the significant risk of AI hallucinations.
Sam Sims, CEO of National Numeracy said:
“The findings point to a need for coordinated action across education, workplaces and communities to strengthen confidence with numbers and ensure people can engage effectively with AI. Without this, the benefits of technological change may be unevenly felt, with those already facing disadvantage at greater risk of being left behind.”
The findings also reveal trust and understanding of AI is lowest among groups who come from a lower socioeconomic grade and are more likely to be challenged by low numeracy - 67% of people in higher grades expressed trust, compared to 45% in lower grades. Understanding shows a similar pattern, falling from 65% to 39%.
Melissa Geiger, Chair of the Board, KPMG in the UK and Switzerland, said:
“AI is full of opportunity – it’s transforming how we work, make decisions and create value, but we can’t use it as a replacement for basic numeracy skills. Businesses need people who are confident working with numbers to be able to fully understand how AI works and trust the outcomes it produces.
“Without strong numeracy skills across the UK, there is a risk that the opportunities created by AI will not be fully realised, and that existing inequalities could widen rather than narrow. Policymakers must act to promote numeracy as a fundamental skill in the age of AI.”
