2026 Consumer Survey
Consumers Trust AI to Help.
Not to Take Control.
Discover what 11,000 consumers across 12 countries say about how much responsibility they’re willing to hand over to AI, and what that means for organizations as AI begins acting on their behalf.
AI Trust Has Limits
As AI moves from helping to acting, consumers are setting the terms. Nearly a third (31%) would let AI make some lower-stakes decisions, but comfort drops as its authority grows. For AI to be trusted, consumers want transparency, accountability, and human oversight.
How Much Responsibility Are
Consumers Willing to Give AI?
would let AI make lower-stakes decisions for them
would give AI read access to their primary email
worry AI could misrepresent them
worry more about checking AI work than its mistakes
Where Consumers Draw the Line
The more authority AI takes on, the more consumers weigh what it can do, what it can access and whether they retain the final say.
Consumers are more comfortable with AI:
Doing Research
Summarizing Content
Comparing Options
Making Recommendations
Comfort becomes more limited when AI:
Spends Money
Makes Decisions
Represents Them
Acts Independently
$200
Average trusted spending limit
42%
Would limit AI to $100 or less
22%
Would give AI no spending authority
71%
Concerned AI could misrepresent 

their personality or values
47%
Biggest concern is constantly 

checking AI's work
Trust in AI Isn’t Automatic. It’s Earned.
Consumers don't just want smarter AI. They want AI they can trust, and they're defining what organizations need to get right. The findings point to a clear set of trust signals organizations can prioritize to earn and maintain trust as AI takes on greater responsibility.
Here's What Matters:
Protect personal data
Clearly disclose AI use
Verify brand identity
Cite Sources
Provide human oversight
say knowing AI is being used matters more than getting the fastest result
AI Trust Looks Different Around the World
How much responsibility consumers are willing to hand over to AI varies significantly by country, as do their expectations around transparency, representation and control.
See what we uncovered across 12 countries.
What Trusted AI Requires
Consumers aren't rejecting AI, they're defining the conditions for trusting it. As AI evolves from providing answers to taking action, people expect transparency, verified identity, and accountability before they're comfortable letting AI act on their behalf. Organizations that build AI around those principles will be best positioned to earn lasting consumer trust.
Darryl Jones, VP, Consumer Strategy, Ping Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
Consumers are most comfortable with AI providing support and recommendations. Just 5% say the highest level of responsibility they would give AI is taking action with their approval, while 3% would allow routine actions or transactions without final approval.
Nearly one-third (31%) are willing to let AI independently make certain lower-stakes decisions on their behalf, such as scheduling appointments, selecting products, or exploring rentals or homes. This signals meaningful openness to AI delegation, even as consumers remain cautious about giving AI greater responsibility.
57% of consumers trust AI to some degree, and 43% say they trust AI more today than they did one year ago.
71% are concerned that an AI agent acting on their behalf could misrepresent their personality, ethics or personal values. 47% are more concerned about constantly having to double-check an agent’s work than about it making a mistake.
Yes. 56% say knowing whenever AI is being used matters more than simply getting the fastest possible result.
Consumers would trust an AI agent with an average of US$200 for routine purchases. 42% would limit AI to $100 or less, while 22% would not trust AI with any amount of money.
When consumers suspect a website is using undisclosed AI, 20% say they would leave the website immediately, and 20% would avoid using that brand or company in the future.
As AI agents begin acting on behalf of people, consumers want confidence in who is acting, what authority AI has and how those actions remain accountable.
Get the Full Report
The 2026 Global Consumer Survey reveals where consumers draw the line as AI moves from assisting them to acting on their behalf.
See what those expectations mean for your enterprise.
