Three-quarters of business leaders are holding back decisions because they don’t know what data to trust, with even more (85%) concerned that AI-generated content makes it harder to know what is credible.
According to the New Dimensions of Influence study from the Financial Times, in an era of AI, misinformation, information overload and declining confidence in institutions, executives are becoming more selective about what and who they trust.
The survey, which draws on insights from more than 500 global decision-makers, identified four new ways leaders are filtering information, with business leaders primarily relying on human interactions, evidence-based information, sources that challenge their assumptions, and credible brands when making critical decisions.
Building on last year’s Bridging the Trust Gap campaign, the survey draws on insights from the FT reader panel, a global group of senior leaders who regularly share their feedback and perspectives on a range of topics.
Primarily, it found that AI has not yet gained trust among business leaders, with the vast majority expressing concerns over credibility, confirmation bias and the risk of missing context or nuance.
In fact, 77% of business decision-makers say they now verify information across multiple sources more than they used to; 82% say they trust a source that challenges their assumptions more than one that aligns with existing views; 88% believe AI increases the risk of missing nuance or context; and 82% were concerned that AI reinforces confirmation bias.
FT chief executive Jon Slade said: “This year, our research underlines the importance of trusted information as leaders demand greater transparency from AI-generated content and reliable sources that can shape and test their thinking.
“It reinforces the impact of trust as currency for brands and why we are all responsible for building a trusted information ecosystem.”
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