In 2025, artificial intelligence sits at the centre of growing global divides. Across economies and generations, engagement with AI is revealing widening gaps in trust, understanding, and opportunity.
Chinese AI trust landscape
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer Flash Poll: Trust and Artificial Intelligence at a Crossroads reveals that respondents in Mainland China demonstrates high trust in AI compared to developed markets, including the US, UK, Brazil and Germany.
87 per cent of Chinese respondents say they trust AI, a figure that increased by 9 per cent between November 2023 and October 2025. This compares with trust levels of 32 per cent in the US, 36 per cent in the UK, and 39 per cent in Germany.
Strong embrace of AI adoption
High trust in AI among Chinese respondents also translates into their everyday use. 60 per cent of Chinese employees use AI weekly or more, while 49 per cent say they embrace its growing use, compared with just 18 per cent who reject it.
Acceptance is particularly strong in sectors shaping future growth. 43 per cent of financial services workers and 55 per cent of technology sector employees report embracing AI in their work, highlighting how quickly the technology is becoming embedded in professional life.
Optimism over fear of disruption
Unlike Western markets, where AI is often framed as a threat, Chinese respondents remain broadly optimistic. At least 67 per cent believe generative AI will help rather than harm society, including in areas such as climate change, work life, mental health, social cohesion, and economic equity.
Fear of economic displacement is notably low. Only 26 per cent worry that people like them will be left behind by AI, the lowest level among all surveyed markets. Even among lower-income respondents, concern rises to just 36 per cent.
A broad ecosystem of trust
Mainland China’s confidence in AI extends across all categories of AI communicators. 87 per cent trust 'people like themselves' to speak truthfully about AI, 88 per cent trust friends and family, and 85 per cent trust coworkers.
Trust in institutions and authority figures is similarly high, including 87 per cent for scientists and AI researchers, 83 per cent for CEOs, and 84 per cent for journalists and technology influencers.
More than 70 per cent of respondents are comfortable with their employer's use of AI - the highest rate amongst countries surveyed, while 60 per cent are comfortable with the media's AI usage.
Trust issues outweigh other barriers
Despite high overall trust, some barriers to AI adoption exist in Mainland China. Among infrequent users, 43 per cent cite trust concerns such as data protection, 28 per cent worry about how data will be protected, and 19 per cent are concerned about how their data will be used. Issues of motivation and access affect 40 per cent, while discomfort with technology is cited by just 15 per cent.
However these barriers are significantly lower than in Western markets, where 55 to 70 per cent of infrequent users identify trust as the main obstacle to AI adoption.
Ultimately, the Edelman Flash Poll highlights a simple point: trust shapes adoption. Mainland China’s high public confidence supports faster and broader use of AI, while lower trust in Western markets aligns with a more cautious pace. These differences underline how public attitudes influence the trajectory of technological change across regions.
