US workers report a ‘major AI trust gap’ that affects their view of companies

Summary

A new SHL survey of more than 1,000 US working adults finds a pronounced trust gap around workplace AI. While many employees accept AI for efficiency and consistency, they want humans involved — especially in hiring, performance reviews and career-impacting decisions. Key findings include that 74% say being interviewed by an AI agent would change how they view a company (37% calling it impersonal, 23% calling it innovative), only 27% fully trust their employer to use AI responsibly, and 59% believe AI is making bias worse.

The report also shows practical tensions: over half of workers prefer humans to review applications and evaluate performance, 53% worry AI will erode the human touch, and 21% would prefer a return to a pre-AI workplace. Still, many are willing to upskill — nearly 48% would take online courses to become more AI-fluent, but a quarter say they don’t even know what “AI skills” means.

Key Points

74% of workers say an AI interviewer would change their perception of a company; responses split between ‘impersonal’ and ‘innovative’.
Only 27% fully trust employers to use AI responsibly.
59% of respondents believe AI is making bias worse rather than better.
More than half prefer humans to handle job applications, performance evaluation and career decisions.
53% fear AI will erode the human touch; 21% would prefer a pre-AI workplace.
Nearly half are willing to upskill for an AI-enabled workplace, but 25% don’t know what ‘AI skills’ means — an L&D opportunity.

Context and relevance

This matters for HR, talent acquisition and leaders rolling out AI: perception shapes employer brand and candidate behaviour. As more organisations automate parts of hiring and people management, the survey highlights the risk of alienating employees and applicants unless firms combine AI with clear transparency, human oversight and meaningful learning programmes.

It also links to broader trends: firms are deploying AI fast, but many HR teams feel underprepared to harness it strategically. Without investment in skills and governance, employers risk introducing bias, damaging trust and undermining recruitment and retention efforts.

Why should I read this?

Short version — if you hire, manage people or design workplace tech, stop and read this. It’s basically a trust alarm bell: AI can look clever, but if you don’t pair it with humans, explanations and training, candidates and staff will notice — and not in a good way.

Author note

Punchy take: this isn’t just statistics — it’s a warning shot. Use AI to help, not to replace the human parts that matter to people’s careers. Employers that treat transparency and upskilling as afterthoughts will pay in talent and reputation.

Source

Source: https://www.hrdive.com/news/us-workers-report-a-major-ai-trust-gap/806151/