The tech companies might be super excited for AI to move forward and to become a bigger part of our lives.

This recent poll, though, shows the public feels the exact opposite.

The consultancy firm Edelman polled 32,000 global respondence and found that less than 18 months into the “AI revolution,” public trust is eroding.

Justin Westcott, the firm’s global technology chair, says that AI proponents should take these answers seriously.

“Trust is the currency of the AI era, yet, as it stands, our innovation account is dangerously overdrawn. Companies must move beyond the mere mechanics of AI to address its true cost and value – the ‘why’ and ‘for whom.'”

Trust in AI is down from 61% in 2019 to just 53% across the globe.

In the United States, that number is much lower, with just 35% of people saying they trust AI tech.

Back in 2019, AI was mostly theoretical.

Now, people are losing their actual jobs, or expect to in the near future, and so aren’t at all trusting of giving it even more of a lead.

One big reason that people say they’ve lost trust is that AI has been “badly managed” thus far.

Another thing the poll made clear is that the public has largely put their trust in scientists to tell them when AI is safe and when it’s not.

“Those who prioritize responsible AI, who transparently partner with communities and governments, and who put control back into the hands of the users, will not only lead the industry but will rebuild the bridge of trust that technology has, somewhere along the way, lost.”

The entire world can seem pretty dystopian these days, so this news doesn’t surprise me.

What would shock me is if the people pushing AI actually pay attention to and address the public’s concerns.

I suppose stranger things have happened.

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