AI Adoption Rates

Businesses Eager to Embrace AI, Yet Concerned About Trust, Data, and Ethics in AI Adoption Rates

As AI adoption rates are projected to surge, only 10% of people currently have full trust in AI for making informed decisions. According to Salesforce’s latest research, nearly half of customer service teams, over 40% of salespeople, and a third of marketers have fully integrated AI to enhance their work. However, 77% of business leaders express concerns about trusted data and ethics that could potentially stall their AI initiatives.

The “Trends in AI for CRM” report highlights that companies fear missing out on the benefits of generative AI if the data supporting large language models (LLMs) is not based on their own reliable customer records. Additionally, respondents are worried about the lack of clear company policies governing the ethical use of AI and the complex landscape of LLM vendors, with 80% of companies currently using multiple models.

Data Trust Issues Stymie AI Progress

Despite expectations for a dramatic increase in AI adoption, only 10% of individuals fully trust AI to make informed decisions. The report reveals that 59% of organizations lack unified data strategies essential for ensuring AI reliability and accuracy. While 80% of employees using AI at work report increased productivity—a key driver for rapid AI adoption—only 21% of surveyed workers said their company has established clear policies on approved AI tools and use cases. Many employees, undeterred by the absence of formal policies, continue to use unapproved (55%) or explicitly banned (40%) tools. Furthermore, 69% of respondents noted that their employers have not provided training on AI usage.

Critical Focus Areas: Trust, Data Security, and Transparency

The report also underscores that 74% of the general public is concerned about the unethical use of AI. Companies that emphasize end-user control are better positioned to build customer trust in their AI strategies, with 56% of survey respondents expressing openness to AI under these conditions. Key factors for deepening trust in AI include increased visibility into AI use, human validation of outputs, and enhanced user control.

“This is a pivotal moment as business leaders across various industries look to AI to drive growth, efficiency, and customer loyalty,” said Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI. “Success with AI requires more than just deploying LLMs. It demands trusted data, user access control, vector search capabilities, audit trails, citations, data masking, low-code builders, and seamless UI integration to truly succeed,” Shih added.