AI Earns Greater Public Trust Despite Growing Media Doubts, Study Finds

Public confidence in artificial intelligence is rising even as global media coverage becomes increasingly critical, according to new research from media intelligence firm CARMA.

The report, titled “Perceptions of AI: A power shift from productivity tool to strategic infrastructure,” examines the growing gap between public sentiment and media narratives around AI. The study analysed 6,000 tier-one media articles across 45 international markets and surveyed 6,300 respondents across 19 countries.

Public Trust Overtakes Excitement

According to the research, public trust in AI increased to 30% this year, up from 26% previously. In contrast, trust signals within mainstream media coverage fell from 35% to 26% over the same period.

For the first time in CARMA’s tracking history, trust surpassed general excitement as the public’s leading emotional response to AI.

The shift comes as media coverage moves away from celebratory discussions around new AI products and towards more complex issues, including corporate governance, national sovereignty, national security and regulation.

Although positive narratives remain the largest category of media coverage, optimistic reporting declined from 57% to 47%, while explicitly negative coverage more than doubled to 28%.

Consumers Demand Substance Over AI Hype

The research points to a growing disconnect between corporate messaging and audience expectations.

Nearly six in 10 respondents said companies routinely exaggerate their AI capabilities through buzzwords, while more than 40% said they actively ignore marketing materials that make heavy use of AI claims.

Instead, audiences showed a preference for practical and measurable information, including processing speed, analytical accuracy and operational efficiency, rather than broad assurances around safety.

The findings suggest that consumers’ direct experiences with AI-powered applications may increasingly influence their perceptions of the technology, potentially reducing the impact of conventional news narratives.

Accountability Gap Emerges

The study also identified a significant difference between journalists and the public over who should be held responsible when AI systems cause harm.

Media coverage placed governments and regulatory bodies at the centre of accountability, assigning them 35% of overall responsibility. The public, however, placed greater responsibility on AI developers and software companies, at 33%, while assigning government oversight bodies only 10%.

The gap highlights differing expectations around responsibility as AI becomes more deeply integrated into products, services and critical infrastructure.

Anthropic Gains Media Visibility

The changing media landscape has also affected the visibility of major AI companies.

OpenAI retained the largest share of global AI coverage at 21%, while Anthropic recorded the biggest increase, rising from 4% to 17% share of voice and overtaking Google for second place.

CARMA attributed Anthropic’s rise largely to high-profile policy disputes involving the company and federal authorities, including debates around military applications and international hardware export controls, rather than traditional public relations activity.

Concerns Around AI Remain

Despite the overall increase in public optimism, significant concerns remain.

Cybercrime, digital misinformation and job displacement continue to be major sources of public distrust. Coverage focused on younger generations was particularly pessimistic, with media narratives frequently connecting AI and automation to workforce disruption, changes in education and corporate downsizing.

As AI moves beyond its role as a productivity tool and becomes increasingly embedded in global infrastructure, the research suggests that public acceptance will depend less on optimistic corporate messaging and more on operational transparency, accountability and demonstrable utility.