A new global survey from Ipsos reveals a striking divergence in public confidence regarding government oversight of artificial intelligence, with citizens in Singapore expressing the highest levels of trust, while those in the United States report some of the lowest. The findings, which map public trust against nervousness about AI, offer a crucial glimpse into the varied socio-political landscapes that will shape the future of AI regulation and adoption across the globe.
The survey asked respondents whether they “trust the government of [their market] to regulate AI responsibly.” The results highlight that a nation’s technological advancement doesn’t necessarily correlate with public faith in its governance of that technology.
High Trust, High Stakes
Singapore stands out as the global leader in public confidence, with over 80% of its citizens trusting their government to manage AI responsibly. This is particularly noteworthy as Singaporeans also report a relatively high level of nervousness about AI (over 60%), suggesting a population that is aware of the technology’s potential risks but has strong faith in its institutions to mitigate them.
This high-trust sentiment is shared across several developing economies, primarily in Asia and Latin America. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Thailand form a “High Trust” cluster, where a majority of the population is confident in their government’s ability to regulate AI. For businesses operating in these regions, this high level of institutional trust could foster a more stable and predictable environment for AI development and deployment.
A Trust Deficit in the West
At the other end of the spectrum lies the United States, where public confidence is alarmingly low. Only about 30% of US citizens trust their government to regulate AI responsibly, one of the lowest figures among the 30 countries surveyed. This is compounded by the fact that the US is also one of the most nervous nations, with nearly 70% of its citizens expressing anxiety about AI-powered products and services.
This significant trust deficit presents a major challenge for the American tech ecosystem. It signals a public that is wary of both the technology and the institutions meant to govern it, which could lead to contentious policy debates and hurdles in consumer adoption.
Other major Western nations, including Great Britain and Canada, also show a similar pattern of high nervousness coupled with low-to-moderate trust, placing them well below the global average.
The Broader Picture
- European Nations like Germany, France, and Sweden are generally clustered around the middle, displaying moderate levels of both trust and nervousness.
- Japan emerges as an outlier, with the lowest level of nervousness among developed nations but also one of the lowest levels of trust in government regulation.
For technology leaders and policymakers, the message from this Ipsos survey is clear: public trust is not a given. As AI becomes more integrated into society, building and maintaining confidence in governance will be as critical as developing the technology itself. The path to successful AI integration will look vastly different in Singapore than it will in the United States, and understanding this trust landscape is essential for navigating the future.