Why AI Companies Are Losing the Trust War

Two landmark global studies published this month reveal something the AI industry is not yet ready to hear. Public trust in AI is falling in the markets that matter most, and the information environment through which people form their opinions about it is in crisis. This is not a communications problem. It is a strategic one. Julio Romo draws on data from the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026 and the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 to examine what the signals mean for AI companies, governments, and investors, and why tactical communications is making the trust deficit worse, not better.