Artificial intelligence may be a global technology, but public attitudes toward it are anything but universal. A new United Nations poll shows that trust in AI is highest in China and other developing economies, while richer nations remain deeply skeptical.
The findings come from a massive UN Development Programme survey that interviewed more than 21,000 people across 21 countries between November 2024 and January 2025. Researchers asked participants if they believe AI «serves the best interests of society,» and whether governments can harness the technology to improve daily life.
According to Bloomberg, 83% of participants in China said they trust AI, by far the highest share in the study, Confidence levels were above 60% in Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, India, Nigeria and Pakistan, nations that do not belong to the UN’s very-high Human Development Index bracket, a yardstick for gauging overall well-being in a country.
The picture is the opposite in high-HDI economies. A minority of adults in the United States, Germany, Australia and Greece expressed faith that AI is being used for the common good. One notable exception is Japan, where 65% trust AI, despite the country’s high income and aging population.
The UN researchers don’t spell out why this gap exists, but other research hints at a pattern. In fast-growing economies, AI is widely promoted as a way to «skip steps» in development, perhaps filling in gaps in health care and classrooms, so the technology is viewed as a practical fix. In wealthier, more developed countries, headlines about disinformation and AI-driven job displacement dominate the conversation, leading to public unease.
