Distrust Reigns as ‘Me’ Supplants ‘We’ in Edelman Pre-Davos Poll
(Bloomberg) — People around the world are becoming increasingly wary of governments and institutions as geopolitical tensions fuel nationalism and economic concerns rise, according to communications firm Edelman.
“Distrust is the new default instinct,” said Richard Edelman, CEO of the company of the same name, describing the results of the annual survey released Monday ahead of this week’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
The survey was conducted between October 23 and November. 18 surveyed 37,500 participants in 28 countries and found that trust in institutions and their leaders is eroding and people are seeking reassurance in their workplaces.
In the survey, employers emerge as the most trusted agents of trust, and offices emerge as the safest space to discuss challenges related to artificial intelligence, globalization or economic livelihoods. Edelman said that’s because there are rules of conduct out there that don’t exist.
He argued that it was in the interest of businesses to fulfill this duty because impartiality and insularity could affect the results.
Seventy percent of survey respondents said they were reluctant to trust someone with different values, knowledge, life experiences, or backgrounds. About 42% would choose to change departments rather than work for such a person, while a third say they would put in less effort if someone managing a project did not share their beliefs.
“We prefer the safety of the familiar over the perceived risk of newness,” Edelman said. “We prefer nationalism to global connectivity, individual interest to common progress, I to We.”
Its survey found that the majority of low-income workers fear being left behind by the AI revolution. Concerns about damage from trade disputes and recession-related job losses are at an all-time high, and less than a third of respondents believe the next generation will be better off.
“Inflation fears, potential job loss from AI, and disinformation concerns are now the most corrosive factors undermining trust,” Edelman said. “Our mentality shifted from alarm to anger to sullen resignation and narrow-mindedness.”
General belief in governments, business leaders and the media changed little last year. While France, which has been suffering from the political crisis since mid-2024, recorded the biggest decline, confidence increased the most in Nigeria and the UAE. These two countries recently signed an economic partnership agreement that will deepen commercial ties.
The annual meetings in the Swiss resort of Davos begin on Monday. The WEF’s own risk report, published last week, identified “geoeconomic conflict” and “state-based armed conflict” as the two biggest concerns among experts it surveyed.
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