AI Trust Gap: Businesses Deploy, Consumers Hesitate

Businesses are rapidly adopting AI, with 93% planning deployment, but only 23% of consumers trust companies to use AI with their data. This reveals a significant "AI trust gap." Research shows that consumer trust depends on transparency and the specific use case. For example, people favor AI for cybersecurity but are hesitant about its use in high-risk areas like financial decisions. The Thales Digital Trust Index 2026 report highlights that 93% of IT decision-makers are deploying or planning generative AI, but there's a 70% gap between company plans and customer comfort. To bridge this gap, organizations must clearly communicate how AI is used, where it enhances security, and where human oversight remains. More than three in four users, 77%, are uncomfortable with AI acting on their behalf online. Currently, AI is more likely to make consumers lose trust in an organization, 38%, than gain it, 25%. The bottom line is that effective communication about AI use is crucial for building consumer confidence.