Key Takeaways
- Public perceptions of AI companies vary sharply across markets. AI companies rank very differently across markets, reflecting uneven societal acceptance. In some markets, they sit in the upper tier of sector rankings while in others, they fall well behind, suggesting that public opinion on AI remains unsettled and highly context-specific.
- AI companies are judged separately from the broader technology sector. Strong rankings for technology and computer companies do not automatically extend to AI firms. In markets such the USA, the UK, Australia, and Canada, technology companies rank near the top, while AI companies rank much lower, indicating that the public is making deliberate distinctions within the technology ecosystem.
- Societal reputation may become a material risk in global AI competition. As various technology superpowers such as China and the USA aim for global AI dominance, uneven levels of public acceptance may influence the speed, scale, and legitimacy of AI deployment at the market level, making societal reputation a potentially material factor in competitive outcomes.
GlobeScan’s recent analysis, based on a representative online survey of over 30,000 people across 33 markets, reveals that perceptions of AI companies in terms of their societal reputation vary widely across markets and often diverge from views of technology and computer companies overall. Rankings are based on comparisons across 21 company types, assessing how well each sector is seen to fulfill its responsibilities to society relative to others (including agriculture/farming, AI companies, airlines, automobile, banks/finance, beer, clothing/apparel, consumer goods, food, forestry companies, healthcare, home furnishings, large retail, media/entertainment, mining, oil/petroleum, packaged foods/snacks, payment/credit, pharmaceutical, spirits (alcohol), and technology/computer companies). To see how each sector is rated at the global level, please see our insight from last week.
Across the countries included in the study, technology and computer companies tend to perform strongly and consistently on societal reputation. For example, they rank among the top five sectors in markets such as Germany, India, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. In contrast, AI companies show far greater variation, ranging from relatively high rankings in countries like China and Kenya to much lower rankings in others.
The contrast is particularly striking in advanced economies. In the UK, technology and computer companies rank near the top of all sectors, while AI companies are placed further down the list. A similar pattern appears in the USA, where the technology sector again ranks highly, but AI companies lag behind many other industries. This suggests that positive views of technology do not automatically translate into confidence in AI companies.
Elsewhere, perceptions are more favorable. In markets such as China, AI companies are ranked more similarly to technology companies, indicating greater acceptance of AI’s role in economic development and innovation.
Overall, public opinion data show that AI companies are not benefiting from a uniform global narrative. Instead, they are being assessed through a more critical and differentiated lens, with rankings reflecting local expectations about benefits, risks, and responsible use.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The societal standing of AI companies is being actively negotiated in each market, often independently of the broader technology sector. The divergence between technology and AI rankings in countries such as the UK and the USA highlights that people are not necessarily evaluating innovation in general terms. Instead, this indicates they are likely asking more specific questions about consequences, safeguards, and accountability. This means that reputation strategies based on technological leadership or economic contribution alone are unlikely to be sufficient for AI companies. Trust-building efforts require market‑specific engagement strategies that reflect local sensitivities, rather than assuming a single global story will resonate everywhere.
More broadly, in a period of intensifying global competition on AI, particularly between China and the USA, this shows that societal reputation may become a material variable shaping not only public acceptance, but the speed, scale, and legitimacy of AI’s development across markets.
Learn more about how companies can cultivate Thick Trust to build a robust social license to operate in GlobeScan’s recent whitepaper From Fragility to Thick Trust: Building Societal Reputation in a Low-trust Era.
Survey Question: Please rate each of the following types of companies on how well they fulfill their responsibilities to society compared to other types of companies. – Technology/computer companies – Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies
Countries surveyed: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, UK, USA, and Vietnam.
