New data shows a shift in consumer sentiment, with customers increasingly trusting AI-assisted planning over human experts. This trend indicates a growing reliance on AI for decision-making.
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Latest data shows that consumers now trust AI more than human experts for planning decisions, a trend reshaping how businesses interact with customers.
According to a report by Fast Company AI published on June 23, 2026, consumers now trust AI more than human experts for planning tasks such as travel, finance, and health. This conclusion is based on the latest consumer sentiment survey data, showing that the adoption rate of AI advice is significantly higher than traditional expert opinions.
The report points out that this trust transfer is not accidental but the result of continuous improvements in AI's accuracy, consistency, and accessibility. Consumers find that AI can provide more personalized, unbiased advice, free from human emotions or conflicts of interest.
The survey data reveals several key drivers: first, AI's faster response speed enables real-time processing of large amounts of information; second, AI advice offers greater transparency, allowing users to trace the reasoning process; finally, the prevalence of AI lowers the barrier to accessing professional advice.
Notably, the trust transfer is especially pronounced among younger groups, with respondents aged 18-34 trusting AI about 30 percentage points more than those aged 55 and above. This suggests that generational differences may accelerate the trend.
The report recommends that companies reposition AI's role from a supporting tool to the core of decision-making. For example, in customer service, AI should directly provide advice rather than merely supplement human experts. Companies need to invest in AI explainability and user interface design to maintain consumer trust.
However, complete reliance on AI also carries risks. The report cautions that AI may underperform in certain complex or ethically sensitive areas such as medical diagnosis, where human expert oversight remains essential. Companies should establish hybrid models that retain human intervention at critical points.
Although the data trend is clear, the report also notes several uncertainties. First, the survey sample may be biased toward tech-savvy groups and may not fully represent the overall population. Second, trust levels may vary by task type—in creative or emotional support domains, human experts may still hold an advantage.
Additionally, trust in AI could quickly reverse due to negative events such as major errors or privacy breaches. The report emphasizes that companies need to continuously monitor consumer sentiment and establish contingency mechanisms. In the long run, collaborative models between AI and human experts may become mainstream.
This article is based on a report from Fast Company AI, an authoritative industry source. However, the specific methodology and sample size of the survey data were not disclosed in the original article, so the generalizability of the conclusions should be treated with caution.
Consumer trust in AI has surpassed that in human experts. Companies must place AI at the core of customer experience while being mindful of its limitations, balancing efficiency and risk in the wave of trust transfer.
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