Ford finds Chinese most optimistic about autonomous cars

People are in China have the most positive perspective on autonomous driving, said Ford Motor Co in its 2018 Trends Report.

A total of 83 percent of Chinese people said they are hopeful about the future of autonomous vehicles, according to the report compiled based on a survey of 9,042 people from nine countries and regions.

They are China, India, the Middle East, Canada, Australia, Brazil, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom, with each having a similar number of respondents.

Like the Chinese, the report finds that Indians are also quite positive about autonomous driving, with 81 percent believing in the future of the technology.

But the figures are relatively low in countries with a stronger car culture. For example, in the United States, the figure is 50 percent and in Germany, where modern cars were invented, people are most skeptical of self-driving technology, with merely 44 percent feeling positive about it.

Chinese also are the least worried about artificial intelligence, according to the report. It said some 28 percent of respondents in China believe AI will do more harm than good, while the average figure worldwide was 52 percent. Indians topped the list, with 61 percent not trusting the technology.

Besides technology, the report also explores trends in other aspects including consumption patterns, emotional well-being, sharing private information and urbanization.

Ford has been publishing reports on global trends for six years in row. Each year, it focuses on global trends to understand how consumers are changing, and how companies must respond.