The United States and China are the leading countries for AI in 2025. The U.S. is the most AI-dominant country while China has the most AI datacenter clusters. Even though the U.S. is very advanced with AI technology, there’s still a lot to learn about effectively using AI for communications.
For the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer Flash Poll, 5,000 individuals responded to questions about AI, focusing on whether or not they trusted it. This survey included respondents from major AI countries, including the U.S., UK, China, Germany, and Brazil. Even though both China and the U.S. are very advanced with new AI technology, the responses from those countries were shockingly different.
Key Differences Between Countries
The main conclusion from this survey was that respondents from China had the most trust in AI. Brazil was a close second, and the U.S., UK, and Germany all had a strong distrust in it. It’s surprising to see a high percentage of people from the U.S. feeling uncertain about AI since the country is a leader in AI technology.
To better understand what caused these results, let’s take a closer look at the other parts of the survey, especially the biggest differences between countries.
Countries Disagree on How AI Affects Societal Issues
Some people believe AI will help with societal issues while others believe it will greatly hurt the world. People’s views on AI’s impact vary greatly depending on the country. The survey asked about issues like climate change, work lives, mental health, polarization, and poverty.
67% or more of respondents in China felt that AI would solve rather than worsen these problems. However, in the U.S. and UK, less than half of the respondents said that AI would solve problems like poverty, work lives, and mental health. For poverty, less than 33% of people in the U.S. think it will help instead of hurt.
U.S. Respondents Don’t Trust Leaders
Another major difference between countries is that the U.S. doesn’t trust people of power to be honest about AI while most respondents from China do. 70% of the U.S. people surveyed believed business leaders aren’t fully honest with employees about job cuts. Only 39% of respondents in China said the same.
When asked who they trusted the most to tell them the truth about generative AI, the U.S., UK, and Germany had significantly more trust in friends, family, and people like them rather than CEOs and government leaders. For respondents in China, the percentage of people trusting CEOs was almost the same as the percentage trusting friends/family.
Some Countries Distrust AI Because They Feel It’s Forced
The reasons for distrust differ in each country. The majority of people who distrust AI in the U.S. and UK also feel like it’s being forced on them. Less than half of people who trust AI in those countries felt the same. Making people feel like they must use AI could be leading to increased distrust in the U.S.
However, in China, 85% of people who trust AI think it’s forced on them. So, mandatory AI doesn’t seem to affect whether they trust it or not.
What Do These Results Tell Us About U.S. Communications?
Distrust in AI is holding the U.S. back from expanding AI technology even further. Specifically, that distrust lies in who’s sharing information about AI, whether it feels forced, and if it will solve or worsen societal issues.
Finding new ways to build trust in AI can help more people become open to using it. Instead of having CEOs share information about AI, it’s important for employees to be able to talk to people they trust so they can hear about AI success from someone they relate to. During discussions about AI, it’s important to make sure the measurable benefits of AI are addressed to help ease concerns and fears.
Positive experiences with AI ultimately win over employees. Companies should encourage employees to explore AI tools on their own to see first-hand how they can make tasks faster and more efficient.
Experts Can Help You Find the Perfect AI Approach
Navigating AI tools can be tricky for companies that aren’t familiar with the technology. Without strong AI strategies, it can be difficult to prove success and build trust for uncertain employees. Luckily, there are AI experts out there that can help you determine the best way to use AI to your brand’s advantage.
Contact Avenue Z today to see how we can elevate your business with AI tools in a way that builds employee trust in the new technology.
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