Global Public Opinion Insights
GlobeScan research highlights a reputational divide: technology and computer sectors remain top performers, while AI perceptions are more polarized across markets and age groups.
Global insights into how technology, computer, and AI sectors are seen in fulfilling their responsibilities to society.
The technology sector remains one of the strongest performers globally in fulfilling responsibilities to society, but its reputational advantage is weakening and increasingly uneven.
At the same time, the rapid rise of AI is reshaping how the sector is judged, exposing sharp regional and generational divides and creating significant reputational challenges in several of the world’s most influential markets.
Key insights include:
- Technology remains a top performer, but momentum is slowing. Technology remains a top performer, ranking 2nd out of 21 sectors globally, but momentum has slowed. While the sector has consistently outperformed the global average over the past two decades, public perceptions have softened since peaking in 2020, with declines across most markets.
- AI has a more fragile and polarized reputation. AI ranks 8th globally but does not automatically benefit from the broader technology sector’s standing, performing strongly in many emerging markets while ranking among some of the lower-rated sectors in North America and much of Europe.
- Generational divides are stark. Perceptions of both sectors are far more positive among younger audiences and in emerging markets, while older generations, particularly Baby Boomers and older, express significantly greater skepticism, especially toward AI.
- Rising expectations are reshaping the competitive context. As societal expectations continue to increase across all sectors, technology and AI companies face intensifying pressure to sustain leadership and deliver tangible societal value.
