A new international survey reveals a sharp divide in public trust toward artificial intelligence (AI), with China showing overwhelming confidence in the technology while the United States and other Western nations remain far more skeptical.

According to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer released on Tuesday, 87 percent of respondents in China said they trust AI, a figure dramatically higher than those recorded in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The report underscores a widening global gap in attitudes toward AI adoption, innovation, and societal impact.

China Leads Global Trust in AI, Far Ahead of the US and Europe

The survey results highlight clear regional differences:

• China: 87% trust AI
• Brazil: 67% trust AI
• United States: 32% trust AI
• United Kingdom: 36% trust AI
• Germany: 39% trust AI

This demonstrates that Chinese citizens are nearly three times more trusting of AI than Americans, reflecting profound differences in technology culture, national policy, and public sentiment.

Chinese Public Sees AI as a Tool for Solving Major Global Problems

More than 70 percent of Chinese respondents said they believe AI will help address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including:

• Climate change
• Mental health
• Poverty
• Political and social polarization

By contrast, only one-third of American respondents said they expect AI to help alleviate poverty or reduce social division. However, roughly half believe AI could help tackle climate-related issues.

Americans Reluctant to Embrace AI as Rapid Innovation Accelerates

The survey also found stark differences in willingness to adopt AI:

• 54% of Chinese respondents said they welcomed increased use of AI.
• Only 17% of Americans expressed the same openness.

Among young adults, the trust gap widens further. Eighty-eight percent of Chinese respondents aged 18–34 said they have confidence in AI, compared with only 40 percent of Americans in the same age range.

The Challenge for Businesses and Policymakers

Edelman Senior Vice President Gray Grossman highlighted the contrasting challenges facing global leaders:

“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.”

These findings come at a time when the United States and China are locked in an intense competition for technological leadership. The release of increasingly advanced AI models from firms in both countries has pushed AI to the forefront of economic and geopolitical strategy.

China’s AI Sector Gains Momentum as Global Competition Intensifies

While the US continues to lead in frontier AI development, Chinese firms have rapidly gained ground. Companies such as Alibaba, DeepSeek, and others have made headlines with sophisticated—but cost-effective—AI models that are gaining global attention.

In a notable shift, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently disclosed that the company prefers Alibaba’s Qwen model over OpenAI’s ChatGPT for internal use, citing its speed, efficiency, and affordability.

“It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap,” Chesky told Bloomberg.

As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, the trust divide revealed in the Edelman report could shape future policy decisions, corporate strategies, and international tech competition.