New data from Edelman, first shared with Axios, shows that trust in AI technology and the companies that develop it is declining in the United States and around the world. Axios reports: Globally, trust in AI companies has fallen to 53% from 61% five years ago. In the United States, confidence fell by 15 percentage points (from 50% to 35%) over the same period. Trust in AI is low across political lines. 38% of Democrats have confidence in AI companies, compared to 25% of independents and 24% of Republicans. The technology industry is losing its position as the most trusted sector. Eight years ago, technology was the leading industry of trust in 90% of the countries Edelman studies. Currently, only half of the countries are the most trusted.
People in developing countries are more likely to accept AI than people in developed countries. Edelman said respondents in France, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Sweden rejected expanding the use of AI by a three-to-one margin. In contrast, acceptance far outweighs resistance in developing markets such as Saudi Arabia, India, China, Kenya, Nigeria, and Thailand. “When it comes to AI regulation, the public reaction is clear: 'What regulation?'” said Justin Westcott, global technology chair at Edelman. “There is a clear and urgent need for regulators to meet public expectations squarely.”