Do Americans Trust Business and AI?
Bentley University and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable brought together business leaders for a discussion focused on the 2025 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report. The report reveals how Americans believe business is impacting society.
The event in Boston included executives from leading organizations including:
- Fidelity Investments
- PNC Bank
- Eversource
- Citizens Bank
- Mass Development
- RSM US
- Needham Bank
- Northeast Retirement Services/Global Trust Company
- St. Mary’s Credit Union
- Amplify LatinX
- BAL
The conversation focused on the different issues impacting companies during these turbulent times. Topics covered included how much Americans trust business to act in society’s best interest; an increase in the number of people who want companies to speak out on current events; and how to handle the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.
The 2025 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report, which surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. adults, provides clear, quantifiable insights about how Americans feel businesses are handling today’s challenges. The discussion of timely topics from the Bentley-Gallup survey included:
Americans Positive on Business
In 2025, 65% of Americans believe businesses have a somewhat or extremely positive impact on people’s lives. This marks a 10-percentage-point rise since 2022, when 55% reported the same.
Most Americans (87%) say that businesses have the power to improve lives. Yet far fewer (60%) believe they are using that power effectively, and just 43% fully trust their intentions. Still, more trust businesses (43%) than the federal government (31%) to act in society’s best interest.
Should Companies Speak Out or Stick to Business?
This year’s survey reveals a rebound in the number of people who want companies to speak out on timely topics.
After two years of decline, public support for businesses speaking out on current events climbed sharply in 2025: 51% of Americans now say companies should take a public stance, up 13 points from the year before.
The executives agreed that organizations need to clearly identify their core values before communicating on the issues impacting society.
Trust in Artificial Intelligence Grows Slowly
Nearly one in three Americans (31%) now say they trust businesses “some” or “a lot” to use AI responsibly, an increase of eight percentage points since 2024 and 10 points since 2023.
However, most Americans anticipate AI will lead to job losses and disrupt the labor market for the next decade. Since 2023, roughly three in four adults have believed that AI will reduce the total number of U.S. jobs over the next 10 years.