Jigsaw research reveals Gen Z’s new trust rules for news and AI
Google’s Jigsaw has dropped fresh research on how Gen Z handles online info and AI tools. The punchline: Gen Z doesn’t trust traditional sources or authorities as much as older generations do. Instead, they check comments first, then the news story. Peers’ opinions, not editors, shape their belief in credibility.
Jigsaw’s 2023 study also found Gen Z users in India and the US lean on AI chatbots for advice on health, relationships, and stocks. They trust AI more than some humans—seeing bots as nonjudgmental and personalized. Another report from Oliver Wyman backs this, with 39% of global Gen Z workers preferring AI colleagues or managers. A quarter of US workers agree. 
Gen Z’s behavior flips the script on traditional trust. They distrust institutions but place faith in an “anonymous crowd” and AI, challenging the idea that people just don’t trust anything anymore. The pattern could bring risks—like a 2024 Florida lawsuit over chatbot harm—but also opportunities. AI could act as neutral mediators, bridging polarized groups and scuttling conspiracies better than humans.
Jigsaw notes:
“The chatbot can’t ‘cancel’ me!” — Gen Z user on why they prefer AI.
Google DeepMind and Oxford created the “Habermas Machine,” an AI that mediates political disputes by generating statements reflecting majority and minority views, helping groups find common ground. It outperformed human mediators in a 5,000+ participant study.
Google urges caution and ethical design. Its 300-page AI assistant guideline tackles safeguards against emotional manipulation and focuses on human well-being. Anthropic and others follow similar paths. Experts call for better user controls and choice between AI platforms to avoid monopoly and tune trust.
The takeaway: trust is shifting from face-to-face and authority figures to “distributed trust” in peers and AI. This new dynamic challenges old views and demands new policies and designs that respect evolving user expectations.
No smooth ride ahead—just a new trust map powered by bots and crowds.
