10K+
Consumers surveyed
LATEST 2026 INTELLIGENCE: Inside the Shifting Boundaries of AI Trust.
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Consumers show highest confidence in AI when it assists rather than decides. Writing and summarizing leads at 41% comfort, followed by search at 32% and shopping recommendations at 15%.
The pattern is clear: AI works best as an assistant, not an authority. Users trust AI to help them think, organize, and explore - but expect humans to review before high-stakes decisions.
Privacy emerges as the leading concern (31%), followed closely by inaccuracy and made-up information (28%), and job displacement (19%).
Notably, distrust varies by age and education. Gen X worries most about accuracy; Millennials about job replacement; higher-education consumers about privacy. Trust is not universal - it shifts by demographic.
The consensus is stark: when the stakes rise, humans expect to stay in control. 38% identify medical diagnosis as where AI should never decide alone. 14% point to loans and mortgages. 35% name hiring and firing.
As consequence rises, AI’s decision-making authority narrows and the demand for human oversight grows.
