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The good news: User confidence evaluating AI is climbing.
Nearly half (49%) of professionals rate their confidence in evaluating AI-powered technology as high or very high. That's up from 43% who said the same in 2025.
These numbers are from the 2026 State of AI for Business Report, a survey of more than 2,100 professionals on how they understand, adopt, and organize around AI.
But it’s worth noting that this same report revealed the single largest group in the data isn't the most confident one. It's the 42% who chose “medium” to describe their confidence.
These are professionals who are being asked to make AI decisions — which tools to adopt, which vendors to trust, where to invest time and budget — while feeling only moderately equipped to make those calls.
And when you break the data down by role, the picture sharpens. CEOs, founders, and presidents lead at 63% high or very high confidence.
Who's Less Confident?
Every other role falls below 50%:
- Directors 46%
- Managers 42%
- VPs 42%
- Specialists 37%
The gap matters. The people making AI decisions at the top feel confident doing so. The people evaluating and implementing those decisions further down the org chart are less sure, even though they're the ones doing the hands-on work of choosing tools, testing workflows, and putting AI into practice.
The good news is that these professionals aren't skeptical. They already believe AI matters. What they need is repeated, practical experience evaluating and applying AI tools to real work, the kind of reps that grow confidence in judgment.
Check Out the Full Report
This is just one data point from a report full of them. You can read and download the complete 2026 State of AI for Business Report for more insights on organizational readiness, training gaps, governance, and more.
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