The results from the Edelman Trust Barometer came in with shocking findings…
According to the survey, in the U.S., 49% of people reject the growing use of AI, and 17% embrace it. In China, 10% reject it and 54% embrace it.
It does not surprise me that people in developed markets don’t trust AI.
In my opinion, this highlights how weak the social contract has become in the U.S. The graph below shows how the promise of AI intersects with other social issues.
There seem to be very good reasons to distrust the organizations behind AI models. After all, many leading figures in the industry are far-right technocrats; the technology promises to displace millions of jobs; and it’s being used for mass surveillance. And to make things worse, governance and safety measures are falling behind when it comes to putting guardrails around AI.
It comes as no surprise that low-income respondents are more likely to distrust AI—although high-income respondents also show significant distrust.
Trust is the Foundation of Innovation
The problem is that less trust in AI = less enthusiasm = less AI adoption.
Among the people in the U.S. who have not embraced AI, 70% said it’s a matter of trust—far above motivation and access (55%) and intimidation (12%).
I am personally excited about the advancements AI will bring to science, climate action, medicine, and robotics.
But I am also concerned about the impact it will have on critical thinking, our perception of truth, energy consumption, autonomous war machines, and the concentration of power.
And I am wondering: can we hold both?
Can we embrace the technology enthusiastically while also demanding risk-mitigation policies and accountability from leadership?
BTW, A recent Pew research study revealed that both AI experts and the general public are concerned that there is not enough government regulation of AI.
Embracing AI
Whether you trust it or not, AI is the technology that will shape the next decade.
Becoming literate in the use of the technology is critical for the next frontier of subject-matter experts.
That is why I am opening a waitlist for people who want to get fully up to speed with the latest uses of AI.
In this mastermind we will cover:
- How to become a fully informed user of AI in your practice
- How to save time and energy with GenAI
- How to turn your IP into AI tools
The program is not open yet and will be invite-only, but if you would like to stay up to date, you can sign up for the waitlist here.