Hajra Naz
China’s public trusts artificial intelligence far more than people in the US or other Western nations, according to a recent survey.
The Edelman poll, released Tuesday, showed that 87 percent of Chinese respondents said they trusted AI. By contrast, only 32 percent of Americans, 36 percent of Britons, and 39 percent of Germans expressed the same confidence. Brazil ranked higher than the West, at 67 percent.
More than 70 percent of Chinese respondents expect AI to help solve major societal issues. These include climate change, mental health, poverty, and societal polarization. In the US, only one-third believed AI could reduce poverty or polarization. About half of Americans expected AI to positively affect climate-related challenges.
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AI adoption is embraced by 54 percent of Chinese respondents. In comparison, only 17 percent of Americans supported greater AI use. Trust was highest among young people, but the gap remains significant. Among 18–34-year-olds, 88 percent of Chinese had faith in AI, compared with just 40 percent of Americans.
Gray Grossman, Edelman Senior Vice President, highlighted the implications for policymakers and businesses. He said,
“In high-trust markets, the task is to sustain optimism through responsible deployment and clear evidence of benefit. In low-trust markets, the task is to rebuild confidence in the institutions behind the technology.”
The survey comes amid growing US–China competition in AI. Both countries are releasing increasingly sophisticated AI models. While the US is considered the leader in the most powerful AI systems, Chinese companies like Alibaba and DeepSeek have made strong gains. Their “open” language models offer lower costs to customers, making AI more accessible globally.
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Recently, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky revealed that the platform prefers Alibaba’s Qwen over OpenAI’s ChatGPT. “It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap,” he told Bloomberg, highlighting Chinese AI’s growing appeal.
China’s AI adoption reflects broader trends in digital innovation, generative AI, natural language processing, and AI-powered business solutions. Analysts say public trust and cost-effective models could help Chinese firms challenge US dominance in AI development.
FAQs
1. Why do Chinese people trust AI more than Western populations?
High trust is driven by government support, tech accessibility, and visible societal benefits of AI applications.
2. What societal issues do Chinese respondents expect AI to help solve?
Climate change, poverty, mental health, and societal polarization.
3. How do AI adoption rates differ among young people?
88% of Chinese aged 18–34 trust AI, compared with 40% of Americans in the same age group.
4. Which Chinese AI companies are leading in the global market?
Alibaba and DeepSeek, particularly with open language models that reduce costs.
5. How does public trust affect AI adoption globally?
High trust encourages adoption and innovation, while low trust slows implementation and increases regulatory scrutiny.
