Global research reveals a sharp drop in consumer comfort as AI moves from providing support and recommendations to taking action

DENVER, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping Identity, a leader in securing digital identities for the world's largest enterprises, released its 2026 Consumer Survey, revealing a clear limit to how much autonomy consumers are willing to give AI: just 5% of consumers are comfortable with AI taking action with their approval and only 3% with routine transactions without final approval.

The findings, based on a survey of 11,000 consumers across 12 countries, reveal a trust challenge as AI moves from answering questions to acting on consumers' behalf. That shift requires consumers to trust organizations and their AI agents with greater access to personal data and digital accounts, even as confidence in how that information is managed remains low. Only 12% of global consumers fully trust organizations to manage their identity data, down from 17% in 2025. Consumers are particularly cautious about giving AI access to their money and email, with concerns extending beyond mistakes to questions of authority, representation and accountability.

Read the full report: Trust AI to Act? Where Consumers Draw the Line.

"Consumers are open to AI doing more, but they want a say in how far it can go," said Darryl Jones, Vice President of Consumer Segment Strategy at Ping Identity. "The more responsibility we give AI, the more important it becomes to be clear about what it can do, what it can access and who remains in control."

Key Global Findings

Consumers Embrace AI Assistance, But Set Limits on Autonomous Actions

• Support over autonomy: 56% of consumers are comfortable using AI for low-stakes support (27%) or recommendations (29%), but just 5% are comfortable with AI taking action with approval, and only 3% are comfortable with routine actions or transactions without final approval.
• Financial & access boundaries: 42% would let an AI agent spend no more than $100 and 22% would not allow any financial transactions.
• Representation & oversight concerns: 71% worry AI agents acting on their behalf could misrepresent their personality or values, while 47% say constantly having to check an AI agent's work is a bigger concern than the agent making a mistake.

Consumers Want Transparency, Not Just Performance

• Demand for disclosure: 56% of respondents say that knowing whenever AI is being used is more important than simply getting the fastest possible result.
• Consequences of undisclosed AI: 20% of consumers would leave a website immediately if they suspect undisclosed AI, and 20% would avoid using that brand entirely in the future.

AI Autonomy and Trust Expectations Vary by Country

• Delegation varies widely: Consumers in India (70%) and Indonesia (61%) are significantly more open to letting AI independently make decisions than consumers in Sweden (21%), the Netherlands (19%) and Australia (18%).
• Different priorities: While 68% of consumers in Australia, 63% of U.S. consumers and 57% of UK consumers want to know whenever AI is being used, Indonesia stands apart, with 62% of consumers prioritizing speed and accuracy over disclosure.

As AI moves from assistance to action, secure and governed AI is critical to building consumer trust. Clear permissions, transparency and accountability can give consumers confidence that AI is acting within defined boundaries and that people remain in control.

Learn about Ping's Identity for AI approach to securing and governing AI agents.

Methodology
This random double-opt-in survey, commissioned by Ping Identity, was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR). Talker Research interviewed 11,000 consumers across the US (2,000), UK (2,000), France (1,000), Germany (1,000), Australia (1,000), Singapore (1,000), India (500), Indonesia (500), Netherlands (500), Sweden (500), Spain (500), and Italy (500). Year over year comparisons based on Ping Identity's 2025 Consumer Survey.

About Ping Identity
At Ping Identity, we help organizations secure and manage digital identities across customers, employees, partners, and non-human entities. Whether securing millions of users, fighting fraud, simplifying third-party access, or enabling passwordless experiences, establishing trust in every digital moment shouldn't slow you down. Our enterprise identity platform is designed for scale, flexibility, and integration across cloud, hybrid, and on-prem environments. With our Runtime Identity capabilities, Ping enables organizations to adopt AI and automation by continuously verifying identity, context, and intent at every interaction, helping secure and govern AI agents in real time. Learn more at pingidentity.com.

Media Contact
press@pingidentity.com

SOURCE Ping Identity