EY survey: Autonomous AI is no longer theoretical as adoption grows despite ongoing trust concerns

• 16% of people surveyed across 23 markets have already used AI that acts on their behalf in the past six months alone
• Security remains greatest concern, but adoption rate outpaces fear
• Eight "Pioneer" markets are quickly positioning themselves for outsized, transformative impact in the AI economy

LONDON, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The EY organization today released findings from its 2026 AI Sentiment Report, revealing that while public debate around artificial intelligence (AI) continues to focus on trust and risk, real–world behavior tells a different story. Consumers are increasingly integrating AI into daily decision–making and are already allowing AI systems to act on their behalf.

In the past six months alone, more than eight in 10 (84%) respondents used AI and 16% globally report using AI systems that act without human intervention. This suggests AI use is extending beyond initial experimentation, and autonomy is no longer a future scenario but an evolving reality.

The second annual EY AI Sentiment Report surveyed more than 18,000 people aged 18 and older from 23 markets, to understand how people perceive and use AI over the last six months. This year's findings make one thing clear: adoption in AI is outpacing confidence.

Raj Sharma, EY Global Managing Partner - Growth & Innovation, says:

"The survey findings indicate that a growing minority is already delegating decisions to AI, while many more are relying on AI as an assistant within everyday life. For business leaders, this creates both opportunity and responsibility. As autonomous AI starts to scale, organizations must shape that scaling intentionally by accelerating where trust and value already exist, and moderating where clarity, safeguards, or comfort are still needed."

From assistance to delegation

The report finds that AI's rapid adoption has been driven less by increased user trust in the technology and more through familiarity from everyday low-stakes use. Tasks such as route planning, customer support, travel planning and content recommendations have become embedded in daily routines.

That everyday comfort is now laying the groundwork for delegation. Among respondents:

• 9% have used self–driving vehicles or autonomous taxis
• 10% have used AI agents to purchase products on their behalf
• 11% allow AI to automatically refill shopping carts or manage banking tasks

Even among those who have not yet used autonomous AI, openness is high. More than one–third of respondents say they would prefer AI to automatically apply discounts at checkout (36%) or resolve customer service issues without their involvement (34%), and a meaningful share are open to AI taking the lead in higher–stakes scenarios such as home security (30%) or appointment scheduling (21%).

Adoption outpaces confidence

While use is accelerating, confidence in how AI is governed has not kept pace. Across all markets, people continue to express concern about security, control, accountability and authenticity — yet these concerns are not slowing adoption. Instead, they are shaping expectations for how autonomy should be introduced.

The study finds:

• Two–thirds (66%) of respondents worry about AI systems being hacked or breached
• Almost seven in 10 (66%) say human oversight remains essential
• Nearly three–quarters (73%) fear they will no longer be able to tell what is real or AI–generated

Joe Depa, EY Global Chief Innovation Officer, says:

"Trust will define the long-term winners in the AI economy but today, adoption is moving faster than confidence. Organizations must earn trust through positive everyday experiences supported by reliable data, clear guardrails and accountability to close the gap between behavior and sentiment."

Pioneer markets offer an early signal

While early adopters appear in every market, the rate of adoption is not uniform. The research identifies eight "Pioneer" markets that are further along in their AI journey and for which use is broader, more frequent and deeply embedded in everyday life. These markets include India, the Chinese mainland, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Hong Kong SAR, and South Korea, and collectively 94% of people in these markets report using AI, with nearly one in four (24%) of them having already used autonomous AI.

The remaining markets were split into either "Transitional" markets, where overall adoption has been slower but use and interest is starting to grow, or "Lagging" markets, which show greater hesitation, lower perceived relevance and more selective use. These markets were 12% and 15% respectively behind Pioneer markets with regards to overall AI use and 11% and 13% respectively behind in agentic use.

The full survey findings can be found here.

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Methodology
The AI Sentiment Index Study is based on research created by the global EY organization to better understand the ways people around the world use AI and how they think about its future. To inform this, EY Studio+ conducted a survey of 18,152 people from 23 markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Chinese mainland, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States).

To make sure the results of the survey were representative of the population in each market, a random stratified sampling approach was used with quotas on age (18 years and older), gender and location, based on local census data. To guarantee each market had an equal say, all results were statistically weighted. Because internet penetration is relatively low in markets such as India, the Chinese mainland, Brazil and Japan, any results from these markets should be viewed as representative of people who are internet enabled, rather than the general population.

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