Swiss more nervous than excited about AI, and demanding greater transparency

The Ipsos 2025 "AI Monitor" reveals that while Swiss citizens are open to the practical benefits of AI, they exhibit a notable degree of caution, particularly concerning trust and data privacy, and join a global chorus in demanding transparency from companies using the technology.

Geneva, Switzerland – August 28th, 2025- As the world grapples with the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence, a new 30-country survey from Ipsos the Swiss public shows a mixed sentiment towards AI, characterized by both excitement and apprehension. 

Here are the key findings for Switzerland:

  • Swiss sentiment tilts towards more nervousness than excitement
    • A slight majority of Swiss (50%) report feeling more nervousness than excitement (44%) about new AI products and services.
    • This sentiment is shared with citizens of the anglosphere (U.S., Great Britain, Canada, and Australia) where nervousness also outweighs excitement.
    • Globally, feelings are more evenly split (52% excitement vs. 53% nervousness), with much higher levels of optimism found in South-East Asian markets like Indonesia and Thailand.
    • Excitement seems tied to economic outlooks. The countries most excited about AI tend to be the countries who most think it will benefit their economies.
  • Trust in products and services using AI is limited
    • When it comes to protecting personal data, the Swiss are quite sceptical. Half (50%) disagree that companies using AI will protect their data, compared to 41% who agree.
    • This caution is more pronounced than the global average (46% agree, 40% disagree). Swiss-French speakers (34% agree) are among the most sceptical, similar to their French neighbours (31% agree).
    • In contrast, Swiss trust in the government to regulate AI responsibly is higher, with 55% agreeing, which is in line with the global outlook (54%).
  • A near-universal demand for transparency: If you use AI, disclose it
    • The call for transparency is a point of global consensus that the Swiss strongly support. 77% of Swiss citizens agree that companies using AI should be required to disclose it
    • This aligns closely with sentiment in Germany (79%), the US (79%), Canada (79%) and France (81%), showing a unified international demand for clarity.
  • AI's Impact is already here and expected to grow in our daily lives
    • The influence of AI is being felt now. 43% of Swiss say AI has already changed their daily lives, an increase from 38% in 2024
    • Looking ahead, 61% of Swiss anticipate AI will bring even more profound changes in the next 3-5 years (up from 55% in 2024), reflecting a growing awareness of AI's transformative power, even if it trails the global average (67%).
  •  We expect that AI will be our search tool
    • 76% of Swiss citizen said they think it is likely AI will be used for online search results.
    • This is a view globally (79%) and regionally agreed (76% in Germany, Great Britain or Spain, 74% in Italy or 73% in France).
  •  Optimism on efficiency and entertainment, concern for the job market
    • Efficiency: 46% of Swiss believe AI will improve the time it takes to get things done. Only 12% think it will take longer to do things with AI
    • Entertainment: 43% think AI will enhance their entertainment options (video, content, movies, music, etc.) compared to 14% who believe it may worsen them
    • Jobs: The outlook is mixed. While 33% of working Swiss think AI will improve their personal job, 41% fear it will worsen the overall job market for their country.

"These findings reflect the Swiss penchant for pragmatism and deep-seated value for privacy," says Jean-Pierre Berst, Chief Client Officer and AI Country lead at Ipsos in Switzerland. "In our country where quality and trust are the bedrock of the economy, it's natural to see a healthy dose of skepticism. For companies operating in Switzerland, the message is clear: the path to AI adoption is paved with trust. Demonstrating tangible benefits and being transparent about AI usage will be the key differentiators for success."

Technical note: Ipsos interviewed 23,216s people online in 30 countries between March 21, and April 4, 2025. Quotas were set to ensure representativeness and data have been weighted to the known population profile of each country. The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and Türkiye. The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.

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The author(s)

  • Jean-Pierre Berst
    Chief Client Officer, Switzerland

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