Study Suggests People Trust AI More That Government And Social Media

This is a general news item with no direct connection to home energy upgrades, so there is nothing here to act on for your house. A new survey from the Collective Intelligence Project, based on interviews with more than 6,000 people in 70 countries, found that 58 percent of respondents trust AI chatbots more than their own elected officials. AI ranked above faith leaders, corporations, and civil servants, with only family doctors and public research institutions scoring higher. Nearly 40 percent said an AI system would weigh their interests more fairly than a person would, and 37 percent said AI could make better decisions on their behalf than their government representatives.

The trust drops off, though, when it comes to letting AI actually make decisions rather than just offer information. Only about 3.7 percent of people said they'd let an AI make choices for them outright, even though nearly half liked the idea of AI helping with local decisions like taxes, permits, or licenses. Researchers quoted in the piece suggest this comfort with AI stems partly from long-declining trust in government and partly from chatbots seeming patient, available, and neutral in ways politicians rarely do.

None of this affects specific programs, rebates, or technology choices for homeowners. It's simply a snapshot of how people worldwide are starting to relate to AI as a source of information and, increasingly, a stand-in for institutions they no longer trust.