What the research shows
Adoption has been fast. Stanford's 2026 AI Index reports that generative AI reached 53% of the population within three years of its mass-market launch, and estimates its value to US consumers at $172 billion a year by early 2026.
Optimism is uneven. 73% of AI experts expect AI to have a positive impact on how people do their jobs, against 23% of the US public. Trust in government oversight also varies: among the countries surveyed, the United States reported the lowest trust in its own government to regulate AI, at 31%.
Incidents are rising. The AI Index counts 362 documented AI incidents in 2025, up from 233 in 2024. Organisations are responding: the World Economic Forum finds that the share of organisations assessing the security of AI tools rose from 37% to 64% in a year.
Inside organisations, trust depends on oversight. 86% of AI users in Microsoft's 2026 Work Trend Index say they treat AI output as a starting point rather than a final answer. PwC's 2026 AI Performance study finds that companies leading on AI returns are 1.7 times as likely to have a Responsible AI framework, and that their employees are twice as likely to trust AI outputs.
What comes next
- Incident reporting and AI assurance are becoming routine parts of governance.
- Public scepticism will shape how customers and regulators respond to AI-enabled products and services.
- Agents that act on people's behalf will raise the bar for transparency and accountability.
What it means for leaders
- Explain clearly to employees and customers how and why you use AI.
- Track AI incidents and near misses in your own organisation.
- Involve the people affected when designing AI-enabled work.
- Publish where AI is, and is not, used in customer interactions.
