AI Skeptics: Who Are They and How Can Businesses Earn Their Trust?

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life and data collection becomes increasingly sophisticated, consumers are growing more cautious about who they share their information with and why. High-profile breaches and shifting privacy laws have only heightened awareness and skepticism. 

With rapidly evolving realities, there is a group of AI skeptics — who we define as those who do not trust AI at all — that approach their interactions with businesses from a place of uncertainty and wavering trust. Companies must understand who they are and what they prioritize to avoid potential AI-related missteps, which threaten to ding their already-fragile perceptions.

AI skeptics skew female, older and lower-earning

Consumers overall are more likely to feel positively than negatively about AI, and to say they trust it. But over one-quarter of consumers (27%) say they do not trust AI at all, and companies must tread carefully with this cohort. Specifically, AI skeptics are more likely to be older, lower-earners, and women. The gap between men and women specifically should be concerning for companies as they evolve along with AI, as women are often primary decision makers and shoppers across multiple categories.

Despite brands’ data use not always being explicitly connected to AI, those who feel more negatively about AI in general are also less likely to think that companies are transparent and responsible with customer data. Certainly, this points to a psychographic difference for this consumer group — perhaps they’re simply more likely to be skeptical of businesses in general. 

However, with AI rapidly evolving and consumer sentiment likely to shift one way or the other along with advancements, it also should raise a flag for businesses. If trust in AI in general and the way businesses use it declines, it may also impact the level of positivity consumers currently have towards companies. In other words, the cohort of skeptics may gain more members in the near future, depending on how businesses engage with AI.

Widespread adoption of AI threatens trust with all consumers, but specifically AI skeptics

While it truly seems as if AI is permeating all areas of life, the adoption of AI isn’t necessarily a positive when it comes to earning and keeping consumer trust. When asked whether several current and potential circumstances impacted their trust in business (specifically the way businesses handle customer data), the element most likely to push consumer trust to the negative side amongst all adults is larger and more widespread adoption of AI by companies: more than 3 in 10 said it would make them trust businesses less with their personal information. 

Among AI skeptics, this number increases substantially — nearly half (48%) said that widespread adoption of AI is negatively influencing their trust in the way businesses handle personal information.

That said, every other current or potential shift in business, legislation or finances also spurred more of a negative than a positive reaction amongst this group. This suggests that companies must keep a close pulse on these consumers, and understand exactly what they need from businesses to give them their trust.

Companies must double down on data privacy and customer service to gain the trust of AI skeptics

Trust is a complicated and multifaceted concept, so understanding it isn’t as simple as isolating one or two characteristics or actions. That said, when respondents were presented a number of characteristics that may influence trust, a company or brand respecting customers’ privacy is the most important factor for AI skeptics. 

For this group, information security can be taken to go hand in hand with AI use — they are much more likely to say that a business not using AI is instrumental to building trust: 29% said so versus 14% of U.S. adults overall. That’s not to say that a company that embraces AI can’t earn the trust of these consumers, but rather that they must be transparent in their use of data, and also deliver on the other elements that are important to gaining the group’s trust.

For example, good customer service ranks second overall, notable as customer service grows ever more personalized, often leaning on customer data and AI. Both factors speak to the individual relationship between a consumer and company, proving more influential than the staying power or financial success of the business itself, corporate responsibility, and other elements that are further out from the customer experience.

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