Consumers Aren’t Waiting for Certainty: New CapTech Research Challenges Assumptions About AI Adoption

Study of 618 U.S. adults finds AI use outpaces trust, offering business leaders a new view of what turns participation into sustained use

RICHMOND, VA, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Consumers are increasing their use of artificial intelligence before they fully trust it, according to new research from CapTech. Across all five AI experiences tested, respondents expressed a greater willingness to use the technology than to trust it, challenging the assumption that trust must be fully established before people will participate.

CapTech surveyed 618 U.S. adults to understand how people evaluate AI and what makes an AI experience worth using. The research found that consumers are willing to try AI while uncertainty remains, challenging businesses to look beyond foundational use cases.

“Getting someone to try AI is one thing. Giving them a reason to come back is where the real work begins,” said Brian Bischoff, Chief Technology Officer at CapTech. “For business leaders, that means focusing less on whether people are ready for AI and more on whether it’s delivering value they can see, on a task that matters.”

AI use is outpacing trust
In every scenario tested, respondents were more willing to use AI than to immediately trust it.

For an AI system that helps people find things, 68.7% said they would use it, while 35.6% said they would trust it. 53.6% would use an AI system that understands them, compared with 28.7% who would trust it. For AI that acts on a user’s behalf, 47.5% would use it and 27.9% would trust it.

Concern about negative outcomes isn’t keeping people on the sidelines, either. Committed Adopters, the study’s heaviest users, reported the highest average concern score among the four behavioral segments. The finding points to an important distinction for businesses: people can recognize AI’s risks and still choose to use it.

More people are using AI, but habits haven’t caught up

AI use is expanding across more activities, but routine use is developing more slowly.

The average respondent reported using AI at least occasionally in 5.46 of eight measured personal activities, up from 4.85 in 2025. Yet only 33% reported using AI daily for at least one of those activities.

The shift is also visible in the study’s behavioral segments. Engaged Skeptics, people who use AI occasionally for specific tasks like customer service or basic automation, accounted for 41% of respondents in 2026 and represented the study’s largest segment.

Value and control help define what comes next

The research also found a relationship between the benefits consumers could identify and their likelihood of using AI. And among Engaged Skeptics, just 12% said nothing would make an AI system worth using.

Consumers also expressed clear expectations for control. 55% wanted the ability to correct AI errors, 54.9% wanted to see a summary of the data being used and 48.5% wanted access to human review.

Those expectations weren’t limited to reluctant users. In several measures, the study’s most committed AI users asked for greater control than Engaged Skeptics, reinforcing that safeguards can be a sign of engagement rather than resistance.

Workplace AI has an even higher bar

Every AI experience tested was less welcome at work than in respondents’ personal lives. Across the five scenarios, workplace use trailed personal use by 2.7 to 15 percentage points.

Access does not tell the whole story. Among employed respondents who did not use AI at work, 35.2% chose not to use workplace AI, compared with 19.3% who said access was unavailable or restricted.

For business leaders, the implication is to look beyond deployment. Employees also need to understand where AI adds value to their work, what they are accountable for and what controls are available when the technology gets something wrong.

For leaders, the research points to a practical approach: make value obvious, establish meaningful controls and reduce the downside of being wrong. Measure success not simply by access or initial activity, but by whether people realize value and return to use AI again.

Uncertainty will remain. Progress does not have to wait.

Read the full 2026 CapTech Consumer AI Research.

About the Research
CapTech surveyed 618 U.S. adults from July 20 through August 6, 2026. Respondents evaluated a randomized subset of five AI scenarios examining value, trust, concern, controls, data sharing, cost, and personal and workplace use. The research also includes a like-for-like comparison with CapTech’s 2025 consumer study of 447 respondents.

About CapTech
We're an AI-first consulting firm that leads with a deep understanding of our clients' business and a holistic approach to data and technology that accelerates results. For over 30 years, CapTech has been at the forefront of every advancement in technology, leveraging our expertise to help clients navigate opportunities to solve real business challenges. Learn more at captechconsulting.com

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