The AI trust gap between corporate adoption and consumer confidence has reached alarming proportions, according to the Thales Digital Trust Index 2026 report. While 93% of IT decision-makers are already deploying or planning to deploy generative artificial intelligence, only 23% of consumers trust companies that use AI to handle their data—creating a 70-percentage-point divide between business ambitions and customer comfort levels.
The research reveals that artificial intelligence adoption faces obstacles that are more relational than technical, with transparency and use case specificity emerging as critical factors in building consumer confidence.
Where Does AI Lose Consumer Confidence?
Public hesitation toward AI remains substantial, with 77% of users reporting discomfort with AI helpers acting on their behalf online. The Thales survey found that artificial intelligence is currently more likely to make consumers lose trust in an organization (38%) than gain it (25%).
Consumer reluctance becomes particularly pronounced in high-stakes scenarios. Only 11% would accept AI rebooking regular travel, 15% would want AI to reorder regular deliveries, and just 7% would allow AI agents to make financial transfers. In contrast, lower-stakes tasks see greater acceptance: 34% would let AI cancel unused subscriptions, 32% want AI to help find cheaper deals, and 25% would accept AI auto-purchasing items at set prices.
When Do Consumers Welcome AI Technology?
Despite widespread skepticism, consumers demonstrate strong support for AI in cybersecurity applications. The Thales research shows that 81% of surveyed users said they would trust a partner organization more if it used artificial intelligence to strengthen its security. Additionally, 70% indicated their trust would increase if the organization used generative or agentic AI to handle data and access management.
One partner user in France’s hospitality sector stated that making greater use of artificial intelligence would provide more reassurance than current methods. This preference aligns with consumer awareness of AI-powered threats: a National Cybersecurity Alliance and CybSafe survey found that 63% of respondents expressed concern about AI-related cybercrime risks.
What Drives the Corporate Push Forward?
Despite the trust deficit, institutional AI adoption continues at full speed. The Thales report indicates that 93% of organizations are using or anticipate using generative AI, while 92% are pursuing agentic capabilities. This disconnect highlights that organizations understand the competitive necessity of enterprise AI usage and hope to gain customer confidence through implementation rather than waiting for public sentiment to shift.
How Can Organizations Bridge the Gap?
The research emphasizes that trust increases when AI usage is clearly communicated. Organizations must inform consumers how their data will be handled by AI, what AI will not do, and when it is being used—every single time. The solution requires balancing transparency with security controls, user guardrails, and explanations accessible to all users. Technology leaders bear responsibility for leading effective communication about AI implementation rather than assuming technical progress alone will resolve consumer concerns.
Source: Security Affairs