A sweeping new global study by Thales has found that digital trust is eroding at the very moment organisations are accelerating artificial intelligence adoption — and the gap is costing businesses revenue. The 2026 Digital Trust Index, which surveyed more than 15,000 consumers, business partners, and IT decision makers across 13 industries, reveals that trust is most often won or lost at the point of login.
The AI Trust Gap
While 93% of IT leaders say they are already deploying or planning generative AI initiatives, only 23% of consumers trust companies to handle their data responsibly when AI is involved. The gap is stark: 77% of consumers expressed concern about AI agents acting on their behalf online.
Danny DeVreeze, Vice President of Identity and Access Management at Thales, said the findings reflect a growing accountability deficit.
“When AI simply helps people work faster, confidence is high. But when AI starts acting autonomously and making decisions or interacting with systems on a user’s behalf, people begin asking harder questions about security, control, and accountability.” — Danny DeVreeze, VP of Identity and Access Management, Thales
Login Friction Is Driving Customer Abandonment
The research found that 57% of consumers experienced problems accessing a website in the past year, and 68% had abandoned or switched providers due to slow performance or complicated sign-up processes. Among those affected, 33% switched to a competitor or abandoned the attempt entirely, while 36% delayed engagement or sought alternative channels.
Consumers are not choosing convenience over security. Forty-five percent said they prefer stronger security checks even if sign-ups take longer, compared to just 22% who favour faster access with lighter protections. The use of familiar security measures builds confidence: 69% of consumers said multifactor authentication increases their trust in a company, and 68% said the same about passkeys.
Banking Leads; Most Sectors Operate at a Deficit
Banking emerged as the only sector where a majority of consumers feel comfortable sharing personal data online, with a trust rating of 57% — up from 44% in 2025. Government services ranked second at 40%, followed by healthcare at 35%. Consumer-facing industries fared significantly worse, with retail at 10%, social media at 9%, and entertainment at 7%. News media scored just 5%, while logistics and automotive ranked at the bottom.
The Implementation Gap
Despite widespread recognition of passkeys as a critical security measure — with 87% of IT leaders calling them important — only 49% have actually implemented them. Meanwhile, 66% of business partner users admitted to sharing or borrowing credentials due to slow provisioning, creating elevated breach risks.
The 2026 Digital Trust Index was conducted by Vanson Bourne in January and February 2026, covering respondents across 13 countries including Singapore, Japan, and Australia. The full report is available at cpl.thalesgroup.com/digital-trust-index.
