Emerging economies lead the way in AI trust, survey shows

LONDON (Reuters) -People in emerging economies are more willing to trust AI than those in advanced economies and are more optimistic and excited about its benefits, a major survey by the University of Melbourne and professional services firm KPMG has found.

The global study showed two-thirds of those surveyed were now using artificial intelligence regularly and even more - 83% - believed it would result in a wide range of benefits.

But 58% of respondents viewed the technology as untrustworthy, an increase in the level found in a previous study before the release of ChatGPT, a groundbreaking generative AI chatbot, in 2022.

"The public's trust of AI technologies and their safe and secure use is central to sustained acceptance and adoption," said study leader Nicole Gillespie, chair of trust at Melbourne Business School, on Tuesday.

The survey found a clear split between emerging economies, where three in five people trust AI, and advanced countries, where only two in five do.

Gillespie attributed the higher adoption and trust of AI in emerging economies to the greater relative benefits and opportunities the technology affords people in these countries and the increasingly important role it plays in economic development.

As AI gains broader use, businesses and governments have been grappling with how to balance innovation with ethical considerations such as job displacement and data privacy.

The study surveyed more than 48,000 people across 47 countries between November 2024 and January 2025.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle in LondonEditing by Matthew Lewis)