Half of charities are “extremely unprepared” to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools safely and effectively, a survey has found.

Across nine categories, including managing risk, choosing the right tools, cyber security and skills, around half of charities warn they are unprepared “for safe, effective adoption of AI”, the research found.

Around three in five say they are unprepared for safe adoption of AI in their policies and procedures, managing risk and in terms of their ethical and responsible guidelines.

Just under half raise concerns around their ability to use the technology in terms of trustee oversight.

Two in five are unprepared in terms of data protection, cyber security and choosing the right AI.

Meanwhile, just over a third are concerned around their capacity to use AI in terms of skills and experience and changing ways of working.

On average across all categories just one in 20 charity respondents feel “extremely well prepared” for safe and effective adoption of AI, according to Charity Excellence Framework, which has published the survey findings.

Despite widespread concerns around AI adoption among charities, their use of the technology has “surged”, according to the Charity Excellence Framework.

Its survey found that three in five charity workers are now using AI, which is “significantly up” on research published last year through the Charity Digital Skills report which found that only just over a third are using the technology.

Charity Excellence Framework notes that interest in its support around AI has increased over the last year, with more than 4000 registering for its webinars.

“Interestingly, many of those attending have been volunteers from small charities or fairly junior staff who wish to begin using it,” said Charity Excellence Framework.

“More recently, we have seen increasing numbers of organisations providing AI training, including some of the usual 'instant experts' and others seeking to monetise their training.”

The most commonly used tools are OpenAI’s ChatGPT , used by almost three in five charities, followed by Microsoft’s Copilot, which is used by just under a quarter.

Very few are using AI to create images, with Midjourney used by just 2% and DALL-E by 3%.

One charity respondent surveyed said: “It's so new and so huge it's hard to even imagine where to start with dealing with AI.

A survey released earlier this year by the Charities Aid Foundation revealed that seven in ten people fear small charities and those in low-income countries will be locked out of AI opportunities.

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