A majority of Americans say they do not trust AI assistants, according to survey data reported by Forkast on August 12. The outlet found that 64% of respondents expressed distrust toward AI systems designed to act on their behalf. The figure lands as companies race to deploy so-called AI agents across consumer and enterprise products.
AI assistants have moved beyond simple chatbots in recent years. Newer systems are built to take action independently, from booking travel to managing schedules to executing financial transactions. That shift requires users to grant agents varying levels of permission over accounts, data and decision-making. Forkast's reporting frames this permission question as the central obstacle facing what it calls the agent revolution.
The trust gap matters because AI agents depend on delegated authority to function. An assistant that cannot access a calendar, a payment method or a wallet cannot complete tasks on a user's behalf. If a majority of users are unwilling to extend that access, developers face a structural limit on how far automation can spread, regardless of how capable the underlying technology becomes.
The permission problem carries particular weight for crypto and fintech applications. Autonomous agents are increasingly discussed as potential participants in on-chain finance, capable of executing trades, managing custody arrangements or interacting with smart contracts without constant human oversight. Any system that hands an AI agent control over funds or private keys raises the stakes of a trust failure considerably higher than a scheduling error would.
Industry participants building agent infrastructure have pointed to identity verification, spending limits and revocable permissions as ways to narrow the trust gap. None of those mechanisms were detailed in the Forkast figures, but the broader pattern in enterprise software suggests that granular, auditable controls tend to ease user hesitation over time. Regulators in the United States and elsewhere have also begun examining how AI systems handle consumer data, a process that could shape how much latitude agents are eventually given.
The survey result does not distinguish between distrust rooted in privacy concerns, reliability concerns, or general unfamiliarity with the technology. Forkast's report frames the finding as evidence of a structural permission problem rather than a simple usability issue. That distinction matters for companies deciding whether to invest in better explanations of AI behavior or in stronger technical safeguards, or both.
The timing coincides with a wave of venture and corporate investment into agentic AI platforms, many of which are pitched as the next major software category after generative chatbots. A persistent trust deficit among ordinary users could complicate that narrative, even as enterprise adoption continues to accelerate through pilot programs and business partnerships.
Market Impact
For crypto markets, the survey underscores a risk facing projects built around autonomous AI agents that manage wallets, execute trades or interact with decentralized applications. If consumer trust remains low, adoption of agent-driven financial tools may lag behind the technical capability of the systems themselves. Investors and builders in the agent economy may need to prioritize permission controls, transparency and auditability rather than raw automation features.
The finding also has implications for exchanges, custodians and wallet providers experimenting with AI-driven customer service or automated portfolio management. Slower user trust could translate into slower uptake of these products, even as the underlying technology matures and becomes cheaper to deploy.
The 64% distrust figure reported by Forkast signals that public confidence has not kept pace with the technical rollout of AI agents. Closing that gap, particularly around permissions and financial custody, is likely to shape how quickly agentic AI reaches mainstream use in both traditional finance and crypto.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the survey find about AI assistants?
Forkast reported that 64% of Americans surveyed said they do not trust AI assistants, pointing to a broad gap in public confidence in the technology.
Why is this called a 'permission problem'?
AI agents need users to grant access to data, accounts or funds to complete tasks on their behalf, and widespread distrust limits how much access people are willing to give.
How does this relate to crypto and finance?
AI agents are increasingly discussed as tools for managing wallets, trades and smart contract interactions, making trust and permission controls especially important when funds or private keys are involved.
Did the survey explain why people distrust AI assistants?
The reported figures did not break down specific reasons, such as privacy, reliability or unfamiliarity, behind the distrust levels.