Consumer trust in AI is declining while businesses’ AI adoption is growing. This creates a challenging situation for companies heavily investing in AI capabilities and technologies.
The importance of AI for businesses
AI has become a cornerstone of innovation and efficiency in modern businesses. About 83% of executives view AI as a critical strategic priority for their companies, according to Cisco. AI transforms industries via personalized customer experiences to fraud detection and operational improvements.
However, this growing reliance comes with a critical challenge: trust. Consumers are increasingly wary of how it impacts their privacy and data security. Businesses need to address consumer trust concerns head-on.
Understanding trust
Trust is a fundamental aspect of human relationships, including between consumers and businesses. It’s built through consistent, positive interactions and transparent communication. However, privacy breaches, misuse of data or perceived dishonesty can quickly destroy it.
Trust becomes particularly complex in the context of AI. Consumers may trust AI for routine tasks, like recommending a product, but they are skeptical about using it for critical or personal decisions, such as healthcare or financial planning. Understanding this duality is essential for businesses to navigate the trust challenges.
The decline in trust
Trust in AI companies has been declining since well before OpenAI arrived. Globally, trust fell from 62% in 2019 to 54% in 2024, according to a recent study by Edelman. The decline is even more dramatic in the U.S., dropping from 50% to 35%.
Several factors contributed to this:
- Proliferation of deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation.
- Growing privacy concerns.
- Increase in fraud and scams using speech cloning technology.
- Misuse of personal data.
Dig deeper: How to protect customer trust when using AI
Real-world trust issues: The Texas lawsuit
A lawsuit filed by Texas against auto insurer Allstate highlights these issues. The state says the company:
- Collected drivers’ location data without proper consent.
- Sold the data to insurance companies.
- Used the data to manipulate insurance rates.
While Allstate isn’t usually considered an AI company, nearly all companies are using or considering using AI to enhance their core products and services.
The dual nature of AI and trust
Interestingly, research shows that AI can also build trust. Many online retailers use AI to analyze customer data and provide personalized recommendations and experiences. Amazon’s personalization algorithms give product recommendations. The company reports this is helping increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Amazon is consistently ranked as one of the top brands in the U.S., landing at No. 6 in Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Brands 2024 report.
Another example is PayPal, which uses AI to detect and prevent fraudulent activities. The technology provides real-time transaction monitoring, learning from new data, identifying suspicious patterns, and automating fraud investigation. Its system analyzes over 430 million active accounts, performs hundreds of security checks per transaction, and implements real-time risk scoring, reducing fraud losses by 25%.
AI has a twofold impact on trust. On one hand, it can be a risk factor — with concerns about data privacy, job losses and the “black box” nature of some AI decisions potentially undermining confidence. On the other hand, it can build trust by enhancing customer experiences, boosting product quality and offering more personalized services.
Dig deeper: How genAI can fill the trust gap for brands
Strategies for building and maintaining trust
Many companies are actively working to address trust concerns. Some of the strategies include:
- Implementing robust data protection and privacy measures.
- Providing transparency in AI decision-making processes.
- Developing AI with built-in safeguards and ethical considerations.
- Educating consumers about AI capabilities and limitations.
However, these strategies can’t merely be lip service. Announcing and failing to apply a policy consistently and universally will damage consumer trust more than not having a policy.
The human element in trust
While much of the discussion around trust in AI focuses on technology, human behavior plays a critical role. Trust is often broken not by sophisticated algorithms but by how people misuse or mismanage them. I recently heard a leader requesting team members’ social media login credentials. While likely not malicious, this request highlighted a critical security issue of potentially using social engineering to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, systems or resources.
These human factors are just as vital as the technology itself. Companies must recognize that trust is built — or broken — at every touchpoint, whether through AI systems or human interactions.
Dig deeper: Are AI tools shaping your intentions more than you realize?
The way forward
To build trust in the AI era, companies must focus on:
- Responsible development: Design AI systems with ethical considerations and safeguards in place.
- Clear communication: Being transparent about the use of AI and what data is collected.
- Consistent, positive brand experiences: Ensuring AI enhances rather than detracts from customer interactions.
- Education: Helping consumers understand the capabilities and limitations of AI.
- Data protection: Implementing robust measures to protect consumer data and privacy.
- Walk the talk: Following the strategies for building trust in all interactions.
The relationship between trust and AI is complex and evolving. As AI adoption grows rapidly, companies must work hard to address consumer concerns and build confidence. This involves developing responsible AI systems, being transparent about their use, and actively protecting consumer privacy and data.
As we move forward, the companies that succeed will be those that can effectively balance the benefits of AI with the need to foster consumer trust. This will require ongoing effort, clear communication, and a commitment to ethical AI development and deployment practices.
The post How to build consumer trust in the age of AI appeared first on MarTech.
