In the press release titled " Ping Identity Investigation Finds That User Trust Changes When AI Shifts from Auxiliary to Executive " published by PR Newswire on October 6, 2026, by Ping Identity, the company announced that the second hyperlink in that press release had been updated. The following is the corrected and complete press release:
Ping Identity research has found that when AI shifts from assisting to executing, user trust changes.
This global study shows that as AI shifts from providing support and advice to taking action, consumer acceptance has significantly declined.
Denver, October 6, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- Ping Identity, which provides digital identity security services to large global enterprises, has released its "2026 Consumer Survey." The survey indicates that consumers have a clear limit to the autonomy they are willing to grant to AI: only 5% of consumers feel comfortable with "AI taking action after obtaining their approval," and only 3% of consumers accept "AI completing daily transactions without final approval."
This survey is based on interviews with 11,000 consumers in 12 countries. The results show that as AI shifts from answering questions to taking action on behalf of consumers, trust is facing challenges. This shift requires consumers to trust the relevant organizations and their AI agents, allowing them access to more personal data and digital accounts; however, at the same time, consumers' confidence in how this information is managed remains low. Only 12% of consumers globally have complete trust that organizations can manage their identity data properly, which is lower than the 17% predicted for 2025. Consumers are particularly cautious about allowing AI to have access to their funds and emails; their concerns extend beyond mistakes to include issues of authority, representation, and accountability.
The full report title is:Trust AI to Act ? Where Consumers Draw the LineMandatory requirements:
Ping Identity Vice President of Consumer Segmentation Strategy, Darryl Jones stated: "Consumers are willing to let AI do more, but they want to be able to decide how far AI can go. The more responsibility we give to AI, the more clearly we need to define what it can do, what it has access to, and who ultimately has control."
Major global discoveries
Consumers accept AI assistance, but it limits their ability to act independently.
- Over 56% of consumers are willing to use AI for low-risk support (27%) or recommended recommendations (29%), but only 5% of consumers are willing to take action after approval with AI, and only 3% of consumers are willing to perform daily operations or transactions with AI without final approval.
- Finance and access boundaries: 42% of respondents stated that they would allow AI to spend no more than $100 on behalf of them; 22% of respondents completely prohibit any financial transactions.
- Representativeness and Supervision Concerns: 71% of respondents are worried that AI agents acting on their behalf may misrepresent their personality or values; 47% of respondents stated that they are more concerned about having to continuously monitor the work of AI agents than about AI agents making mistakes.
Consumers want transparency, not just performance.
- Requirements for disclosure: 56% of respondents stated that knowing when AI was used is more important than simply obtaining the result as quickly as possible.
- Consequences of not disclosing AI: 20% of consumers stated that if they suspected a website was using AI without their knowledge, they would immediately leave that website; another 20% of consumers said they would completely avoid using that brand in the future.
There are differences in the expectations of different countries regarding the autonomy and trust of AI.
- There is a clear difference in willingness to authorize: consumers in India (70%) and Indonesia (61%) are significantly more willing to let AI make decisions independently; in contrast, the acceptance rate is lower among consumers in Sweden (21%), the Netherlands (19%), and Australia (18%).
- Different priorities: In Australia, 68% of consumers want to know when AI is used; in the United States, this proportion is 63%, and in the UK it is 57%. Indonesia is somewhat special, with 62% of consumers placing more emphasis on speed and accuracy rather than transparency.
According to the press release, as AI moves from an auxiliary role to an executive one, a secure and governed AI is crucial for building consumer trust. Clear permissions, transparency, and accountability mechanisms enable consumers to believe that AI operates within established boundaries, and that humans still retain control.
Ping Identity indicates that one can further learn about its " Identity for AI " plan, which is aimed at protecting and managing AI proxies.
Methodology
This random, double-choice survey (double-opt-in) was commissioned by Ping Identity and carried out by the market research firm Talker Research. The team members of this firm are affiliated with the Market Research Association (MRS) and the European Public Opinion and Market Research Association (ESOMAR). Talker Research surveyed 11,000 consumers across the United States (2,000), the United Kingdom (2,000), France (1,000), Germany (1,000), Australia (1,000), Singapore (1,000), India (500), Indonesia (500), the Netherlands (500), Sweden (500), Spain (500), and Italy (500). The comparative analysis is based on Ping Identity's "2025 Consumer Survey".
About Ping Identity
Ping Identity indicates that the company helps various organizations to protect and manage digital identities among customers, employees, partners, and non-human entities. Whether it's protecting millions of users, combating fraud, simplifying third-party access, or achieving a password-free experience, building trust at every moment of digitization should not slow down business operations. Its enterprise identity platform is designed for cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments, emphasizing scalability, flexibility, and integration capabilities. The company claims that with its Runtime Identity capabilities, Ping can help organizations adopt AI and automation by continuously verifying identities, context, and intentions in each interaction, while also providing real-time protection and governance for AI proxies.
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