China leads AI race in global perception but ranks 10th in trust: poll
Synopsis
A Public First poll of 18,000+ people across 15 countries found that majorities in 11 nations — including US allies Canada, Britain, and France — believe China leads in AI, yet China scores a net trust rating of -8, finishing 10th, far behind Japan (+22) and the US (+16).
Key Takeaways
Public First surveyed more than 18,000 people across 15 countries to assess global AI capability and trust perceptions.
Respondents in 11 of 15 countries polled acknowledged China 's AI leadership over the US .
In Canada , Britain , and France , at least 40 per cent of respondents rated China ahead in AI capability and innovation.
Germany was the least convinced of US AI leadership, with only 23 per cent of respondents placing the US in front.
China ranked 10th in net AI trust at -8 , while Japan led at +22 and the US placed second at +16 .
Among American respondents, 24 per cent said China was ahead in AI, versus 51 per cent who said the US still leads.
A new survey by London-based consultancy Public First has found that majorities in 11 out of 15 countries polled believe China is outpacing the United States in artificial intelligence capability and innovation — yet China simultaneously ranks 10th in global AI trust, finishing well behind both Japan and the US.
Scale and scope of the survey
The poll canvassed more than 18,000 respondents across 15 countries, making it one of the broader cross-national assessments of public AI perception conducted to date. Public First, which has no affiliation with the Anthropic-backed entity Public First Action, deliberately excluded China from its sample countries.
Respondents were asked to evaluate both the capability and trustworthiness of AI models from different national origins, giving the study a dual lens that separates technical perception from institutional confidence.
Where China's AI lead is acknowledged
Nations considered close US allies registered notable scepticism about American AI dominance. In Canada, Britain, and France, at least 40 per cent of those surveyed said China was ahead in AI capability and innovation. Germany proved the least convinced of US leadership, with only 23 per cent of German respondents placing the US in front.
Even within the US itself, the picture was divided: 24 per cent of American respondents said China was ahead, while 51 per cent maintained the US still leads.
The trust deficit undermining China's perceived lead
Despite the capability perception, China's AI models scored a net trust rating of -8 — calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents who distrust a country's AI from those who trust it. Japan led the trust rankings at +22, followed by the US at +16, placing China in 10th position with a negative score.
The gap between perceived capability and actual trust represents a significant strategic liability for Chinese AI firms seeking international adoption, particularly those such as Alibaba Group Holding's Qwen and Zhipu's GLM that are actively expanding beyond domestic markets.
Why it matters
The findings arrive as the US-China tech war intensifies around AI model development, export controls, and the so-called AI-plus strategy championed by Beijing. The survey suggests that even without home-field advantage in the narrative, China's AI progress is registering globally — a shift from as recently as two years ago when US dominance was largely assumed.
However, the trust deficit means that raw capability perception may not translate into market share or geopolitical influence in the near term. Enterprises and governments evaluating AI procurement decisions weigh trust and data-sovereignty concerns heavily alongside benchmark performance.
What's next
The divergence between capability perception and trust scores sets up a defining tension for Chinese AI developers through the remainder of 2026: winning the benchmark race is proving easier than winning confidence. Analysts and policymakers in allied nations will be watching whether trust scores shift as models such as Qwen and GLM deepen their presence in arenas like Code Arena and enterprise deployments outside China.
Point of View
Yet that recognition has not converted into trust — the currency that actually drives enterprise and government AI adoption. This trust gap is not merely a branding problem; it reflects deep-seated concerns about data sovereignty, regulatory unpredictability, and geopolitical alignment that no benchmark score can easily override. What mainstream coverage underweights is that a negative net trust score in allied markets effectively caps the commercial ceiling for Chinese AI firms like Alibaba's Qwen and Zhipu's GLM regardless of technical performance. The more consequential question for 2026 and beyond is whether the trust deficit widens as export controls and AI governance frameworks harden, or whether demonstrated model quality slowly erodes it.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Public First AI poll find about China versus the US?
The Public First survey found that respondents in 11 out of 15 countries polled believe China is ahead of the US in AI capability and innovation. However, China ranked 10th in net AI trust with a score of -8, well behind Japan (+22) and the US (+16).
Which countries think China is leading in AI?
According to the poll, respondents in 11 nations — including US allies Canada, Britain, and France — acknowledged China's AI leadership. In those three countries specifically, at least 40 per cent of respondents rated China ahead of the US in AI capability.
Why does China rank low in AI trust despite high capability perception?
China's net trust score of -8 reflects a higher proportion of respondents who distrust Chinese AI models than those who trust them. Analysts broadly attribute this to concerns over data privacy, geopolitical alignment, and regulatory opacity surrounding Chinese technology firms.
What do Americans think about China's AI capabilities?
Among American respondents, 24 per cent said China was ahead of the US in AI, while 51 per cent maintained the US still leads. This suggests a meaningful domestic minority in the US acknowledges Chinese AI progress even as the majority still favours US primacy.
Which Chinese AI models are most affected by the global trust gap?
Chinese AI developers with active international expansion ambitions — including Alibaba Group Holding's Qwen and Zhipu's GLM — are most exposed to the trust deficit identified in the poll. A negative trust score in allied markets limits enterprise and government adoption regardless of technical benchmarks.
