Consumer AI usage habits bring new challenges and opportunities to digital service providers
The latest "2026 Digital Trust Report" released by F-Secure shows that the use of AI is rapidly changing consumer behavior, and outlines three ways that digital service providers can build trust around the AI experience.
Los Angeles, October 7th / PRNewswire / -- Consumers are rapidly integrating AI into their daily lives, but the way they use these tools is presenting new challenges to the companies that provide them with digital services. The latest F-Secure "Digital Trust Report" finds that as people expand the scope of their use of AI, their consistency in verifying the accuracy of AI answers is declining, leading to a growing gap between the speed of adoption and the security features required to make the experience more trustworthy.
The report is based on a study of 1,500 consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom, examining people's actual behaviors when using AI, including how they verify the answers and the level of risk they are willing to take. The report finds that although consumers are aware that the answers and suggestions provided by AI may be incorrect, they often still accept them because they “sound right.” The report also emphasizes that people are increasingly relying on AI in various aspects of their lives.
The main findings of the report include:
- Frequent use of AI is associated with less verification. Those who use AI for various tasks are less likely to have their answers consistently verified than those who only use AI in specific contexts.
- “Sounds right” is sufficient for many consumers. Nearly half of the AI users stated that even though they are aware that AI may be incorrect, as long as the answer sounds reasonable, they will not continue to ask further questions.
- Consumers want security features that truly work. Among those who currently do not use the AI chatbot, fraud detection, data protection, and the prevention of harmful or manipulative content are among the most valued security features for them.
For digital service providers, the message is simple: one cannot always rely on people to discover their own mistakes. As AI becomes part of customer services, searches, and other digital experiences, providers have the opportunity to make these experiences more user-friendly and secure. The report proposes three approaches to achieving this: building on existing customer relationships, designing around the way people actually use AI, and intervening in a timely manner when protection is needed.
F-Secure, Vice President of Research, and Laura James, Ph.D., stated: "Trust is a feeling of the consumers; credibility is something we build. This is the area where product developers or service providers can truly take action. The key is to honestly explain what the system can and cannot do, to have the sufficient capability to do the job well, and to be reliable enough to do it again tomorrow. These are choices at the design and engineering level, not at the marketing level."
The report also emphasizes an important distinction for the entire industry: using AI does not equate to trusting AI. Consumers are skeptical of AI, yet they still rely on its answers, share sensitive information with it, and depend on it in high-risk decisions in real life. For digital service providers, this behavior is crucial when designing a safer AI experience.
F-Secure Senior User Researcher Amel Bourdoucen Ph.D. stated: "People are aware that AI can go wrong, but knowing this does not mean they will always stop to verify. When the answer seems reasonable, or when there is no clear source to check against, people tend to just move on. If we want to make the AI experience more credible, we need to think about how to support people at those moments, rather than simply shifting the responsibility to them."
The report outlines three clear actions that digital service providers can take today to build trust in the AI era: The complete F-Secure "Digital Trust Report" is now available.
Meeting between Network X and F-Secure
As AI reshapes the way consumers interact with digital services, digital trust is becoming an increasingly important part of providers' value delivery. Welcome to meet with F-Secure executives and experts at the Network X conference held in Vienna from October 13th to 15th to discuss how providers can transform digital trust into a competitive advantage.
Opportunities for discussion include:
- Expand your security product portfolio with fraud protection
- Strengthen Embedded Security Strategy
- Expand the connected home business
- Leverage F- Secure Horizon to expand your security value-added services ( VAS )
Schedule a meeting with executives at Network X.
About F-Secure
F-Secure is a people-oriented company dedicated to enhancing consumer online security experiences, driven by AI. With 38 years of experience in addressing digital threats, we assist digital service providers in transforming trust into a high-value growth engine. In a world driven by AI and plagued by fraud, we not only protect our customers but also enable them to enjoy their digital lives to the fullest. Every year, we safeguard billions of digital interactions, protecting tens of millions of consumers worldwide, and create over $10 billion in value for our partners, delivering proven results in a scalable manner.
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