Is technology undermining trust? This is a huge question. Let’s take AI. A quick glance through recent headlines suggests that there are not only issues of trust towards technology itself – namely questions over learned bias, accuracy and use of copyrighted material; but beyond this, there are also issues of whether we can trust companies who are using AI. Customers want to know why these companies are using this technology and how – what does this mean for their privacy, their autonomy and their safety?
Trust is undoubtedly growing but there are significant blockers. In collaboration with KPMG, a global study led by Professor Nicole Gillespie, Chair of Trust at Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne and Dr Steve Lockey, Research Fellow at Melbourne Business School, surveyed more than 48,000 people across 47 countries between November 2024 and January 2025. The data revealed that “although 66% of people are already intentionally using AI with some regularity, less than half of global respondents are willing to trust it (46%)”.
Uptake as a metric of trust
In a fascinating talk at Concordia by Teresa Hutson, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, delved into building trust in the era of AI and the work Microsoft is doing in this space. She succinctly stated: ‘People won’t use your technology if they don’t trust it’.
Let’s be blunt – uptake has been staggering. According to Forbes last year, 72% of businesses have adopted AI for at least one business function. On the consumer side, ChatGPT had one million users within the first five days of being available. There is still a trust gap to bridge to propagate AI globally, and even before this, we must tackle issues of accessibility. When these are addressed, the numbers will grow dramatically.
People won’t use your technology if they don’t trust it’. – Teresa Hutson, Microsoft
This furious interest is a metric of trust, explained Hutson. But she also candidly admitted that the entire industry is still trying to figure out whether there are other metrics for trust. As the KPMG survey reveals, business leaders are iterating fast to include AI in their workflow, but they are also incredibly nervous of it. It’s a situation of cognitive dissonance.
But it’s not the only metric
However, said Hutson, while Microsoft grapples with allegations and concerns with its AI practices – (like all of the major players in this space) – she argued that it is also taking time for self-reflection. This is essentially when building tech. She explained that to build trust, companies must reflect on ‘what did we do wrong’, and then innovate to address the issues.
The Trust equation – Credibility, Reliability and Intimacy
Later, when sat on a separate roundtable, hosted by TikTok on the theme of Building Trust in the Age of Gen AI, I reminded the group about the Trust equation – Credibility, Reliability and Intimacy. The speed at which technology is developed is pretty hard for most people to get their head around; and in this situation, when you are feeling flummoxed, nervous and under-prepared, it’s natural that the first stance you’ll take will be mistrust.
Building credibility
Tech companies need to build their credibility to calm fears; show that they are reliably addressing concerns and fixing issues but they also need to build relationships with their customers that feel honest and transparent. This is where the intimacy comes in. Do I think companies like Microsoft, Google and Apple have achieved this with AI? No. The race – especially between the US and China – has become so frenetic and politicised that the consumer has been forgotten. Do I think that these companies are now recognising that this is something they got wrong – well Hutson suggests perhaps they are?
But this is a lesson to all leaders. Innovation is what can keep your business ahead – but if it is at the cost of your EQ – you will lose your people. Just look at the exodus of key figures from OpenAI to rival Anthropic. And what starts with your employees will soon impact your customers. Nothing rattles more than staff voting with their feet. In a space has hot as AI, leaders need to be building trust as feverishly as they innovate.
