The Trust Issue

Described as a ‘digital philosopher’, author of two highly acclaimed books and popular TED Speaker Rachel Botsman considers how technology has changed the concept of trust and how AI is going to influence it even further.

- Rachel Botsman

About five years ago, the big idea of a ‘trust shift’ from institutions to individuals started forming in my mind. Why was our trust in traditional institutions being eroded and yet we were trusting new technologies? Why do people say they don’t trust bankers or politicians yet trust strangers to share a ride with them?

I have always enjoyed deconstructing vast complicated topics. Trust is a big word, one we use a lot, and that touches so many different areas of life, from love to politics to technology. I thought, can I take this topic that is quite elusive and unpack it to a point of simplicity so that more people can see how it really works and how important it is to a healthy business and society? The passion comes less from cynicism and more from a place of intense curiosity.

With any topic, my fascination is amplified by current events in business and politics.

I was intrigued by how Brexit and the election of President Trump were connected by a crisis of faith in traditional authorities. And then there seemed to be trust breaches on a daily basis, from the Volkswagen emissions scandal to the Equifax data breach, to the Paradise Papers and Facebook/ Cambridge Analytica exposé, not to mention the many and various banking scandals.

This question of ‘who we trust’ is one of the most pressing issues that we face. It’s not a lack of trust but rather a case of placing too much trust in the wrong people, products and places. That’s why I decided to write Who Can You Trust? – to hopefully give people the information to ask better questions and tools to decide: Is this person, information or thing worthy of my trust?

TRUST ON SPEED