A recent poll of 1,200 U.S. adults found that over eight in 10 Americans don’t fully trust what AI tells them. In fact, 86% are distrustful of AI results, with 42% specifically citing a lack of clear attribution as a reason for their distrust. This distrust is not limited to AI-generated search results; 75% of Americans are also concerned that the information they see online is being controlled by a small handful of companies.
Concerns About AI Transparency
When asked about their concerns regarding AI, 42% of respondents said they distrust AI-generated answers that don’t clearly show where the information originates from. This concern outweighs their distrust of medical bills (18%), confusing legal print (17%), and airline fees (10%). Furthermore, 81% of Americans believe it’s essential that the information they get online remains openly available, not hidden behind a paywall or owned by large organizations.
The study also found that 75% of Americans prefer interacting with humans over AI when seeking help on a business’s website. If they suspect they’re talking to a non-human, 56% are confident in determining whether their chat is with AI or a human. However, when asked which business uses AI best in its brand messaging, 61% said they were unsure or couldn’t think of one, and 16% believed no business uses AI effectively.
Impact on Digital Experiences
The research highlights the importance of transparency and trust in digital experiences. According to Steph Yiu, CEO of WordPress VIP, ‘Brands cannot afford to treat visibility and trust as separate things anymore. If people cannot understand where information came from or connect it back to a brand they trust, being visible is not enough.’ The study also polled 800 U.S. marketing executives and digital experience experts, finding that 74% consider ensuring their organization’s website content is discoverable and clearly attributed when surfaced by AI search and answer engines a main or significant priority.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
