Consumers trust AI with life decisions. But do they trust brands to use it responsibly?

The data points to a clear shift in consumer behaviour. Nearly half of UK consumers would now accept health advice from artificial intelligence, about 40% are open to AI-driven insurance recommendations, and more than one in three would trust it for financial guidance.

These are not early adopters or technology enthusiasts but everyday people making decisions that directly affect their health, finances, and wellbeing.  

Clearly, AI is no longer viewed solely as an efficiency tool, it’s increasingly accepted as a decision-support mechanism in high-stakes moments. Now, the challenge for brands isn’t whether consumers trust the technology, but whether they trust organisations to deploy it responsibly. 

The trust paradox 

Here’s where it gets interesting. Last year, 77% of consumers wanted full disclosure whenever AI was involved in brand communications. This year, that figure has dropped to 37%. Does that mean people care less? Not at all. It means they’ve normalised it. AI is now a welcome guest.  

But here’s the tension: nearly half still insist AI-generated content should be checked by a human before reaching them. 

So consumers trust AI more, but demand stronger accountability. They want the efficiency of automation with the safety net of human oversight. For brands in high-stakes sectors like healthcare, insurance and financial services, this isn’t a philosophical debate, it’s the new table stakes.    

Communication: the trust signal

If someone trusts AI with life advice, what are they really trusting? Not the algorithm; most people couldn’t even begin to explain how it works.  

What they’re trusting is the experience. The clarity. The feeling that someone has carefully designed these interactions, especially at vulnerable moments, for them. Which means communication isn’t just important, it is the product. 

Our research shows 70% of insurance customers would abandon a brand if communications failed to meet expectations. Among younger demographics, that number climbs higher. You can have the smartest AI and the most competitive rates. But if your claims process confuses people, if your policy documents need the Rosetta stone to translate, if your chatbot can’t designate when to hand off to a human when it really matters, well, you lose them anyway. 

When trust breaks down

Trust is often lost through friction rather than failure. Data intake is a common example: 65% of insurance customers abandon interactions if documentation is too difficult, rising to 70% among Gen Z and Millennials.  

A form that won’t save, an upload that fails, or a process that demands unnecessary effort can be enough to make a customer disengage entirely. If AI can provide tailored recommendations, but onboarding still relies on multiple PDFs and follow-up phone calls, confidence quickly erodes. The result? The customer just disappears.  

In other words, trust doesn’t shatter in big moments but in small ones.  

What this means in practice

To keep customers and attract new ones, brands should redesign communication around three principles: 

• Transparency and oversight. Be transparent about when AI is making recommendations instead of human expertise. Put systems in place to determine what communications require human oversight; it’s not about replacing people with AI but augmenting them.

• Perception of trust. Trust comes from seamless, cross-channel experiences. Whether it’s mobile, web, or email, customers need clarity about what’s happening and why, at every step.

• Automate intelligently. Replace old, siloed processes with intelligent workflows that eliminate friction and accelerate outcomes, especially at high-stakes moments.

Raising the bar

Consumers aren’t choosing AI because it’s better than human interaction. They’re choosing it because, too often, the experiences brands provide are slow, complex, and disconnected. AI has raised expectations around clarity, speed and responsiveness.  

If a chatbot gives clear, immediate guidance, why is your claims process stuck in 2012? If an algorithm explains complex products in plain, easy-to-digest English, why is your policy document 47 pages of stone-cold legal jargon? 

Brands that see this clearly will redesign the entire communication experience around clarity, empathy and continuity. Those who don’t will find themselves trusted less and less. And with fewer and fewer customers.  

The question is no longer whether consumers trust AI to play a role in important decisions, but whether they trust brands to act responsibly when AI does.