Dive Brief:
- AI trust isn’t keeping pace with adoption, according to a Tether survey of over 5,000 AI users conducted by market research group Kantar. While 82% of respondents said they used more than one AI chatbot over the past year, nearly half reported they do not trust current AI companies.
- Concerns about data privacy and collection, accuracy and reliability and dependence on internet connectivity ranked highest among respondents. Most users said AI companies should be more transparent about how they use and store data.
- “We believe that people shouldn’t have to choose between protecting their data or signing it over to gain access to the latest AI tools, and this research is an indicator that the market agrees,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a press release. “The research also shows, however, that without comparable localized alternatives, users will willingly give up their data.”
Dive Insight:
AI is everywhere: in the workplace, on your smartphone and embedded in product interfaces. People use ChatGPT and Claude to solve problems, conduct research and even get personal advice, handing over their data in exchange for access to cloud-based AI tools.
Amid widespread AI adoption, data ownership is more essential than ever. More than half of the Tether survey respondents said they want to own data created through AI interactions, but only 35% were confident personal data was secure.
Despite the concerns, more than half of respondents reported they would trade some privacy for AI-enabled convenience or share personal data for lower-priced AI services.
Attitudes toward AI also vary widely depending on geographic location. In the U.S. and UK, users have greater skepticism toward AI and more concerns about health and medical data privacy, while users in India and Nigeria were more optimistic and had stronger interest in cross-device functionality.
The data shows people are using AI constantly while growing increasingly uncomfortable with cloud-based models, according to Ardoino, creating a clear opening for local AI that keeps data on-device.
“By building options for local, private AI tools that can match the speed and power of current market offerings, we can raise the ubiquity of AI technology while doing away with barriers that discourage new users,” Ardoino said. “The future of society can thrive only if AI becomes open and accessible to everyone.”
