• by Joe Mandese , Yesterday

That's right, roughly half of consumers would pay brands more -- an average of 7% more -- for artificial intelligence (AI) transparency, according to the 2026 edition of an annual digital trust study.

The "State of Digital Trust" study, released this week by privacy tech firm Usercentrics, is based on a survey of 11,000 consumers in seven markets including the U.S. and found there is a premium value for brands that demonstrate transparency in their use of AI.

The findings are based on self-reported responses and don't dive deep into what consumers mean by AI transparency, but the important finding is that consumers are thinking about it.

Roughly half think it it's worth a premium, and they have a gut sense of how much they would be willing to pay for it.

The complete study can be read here, and it's chockfull of other interesting privacy stats, but I personally found the top line insight relevant and meaningful, because I've been making a case that, in a world of increasingly synthetic information, experiences and content, authenticity will emerge as one of marketing's most valuable KPIs.

I'm not sure what the bottom-line impact of this study's findings may or may not be, but at least they're asking the right questions.