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Organizations building trustworthy AI are 60% more likely to double ROI of AI projects, underscoring the high cost of ignoring responsible practices
CARY, N.C., Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SAS, a global leader in data and AI, today unveiled new research that explores the use, impact and trustworthiness of AI. The IDC Data and AI Impact Report: The Trust Imperative, commissioned by SAS, found that IT and business leaders report having greater trust in generative AI than any other form of AI.
The global research exploring AI use and adoption also found that only 40% are investing to make AI systems trustworthy through governance, explainability and ethical safeguards, even though organizations prioritizing trustworthy AI are 60% more likely to double ROI of AI projects. Paradoxically, among those reporting the least investment in trustworthy AI systems, GenAI (e.g., ChatGPT) was viewed as 200% more trustworthy than traditional AI (e.g., machine learning), despite the latter being the most established, reliable and explainable form of AI.
"Our research shows a contradiction: that forms of AI with humanlike interactivity and social familiarity seem to encourage the greatest trust, regardless of actual reliability or accuracy," said Kathy Lange, Research Director of the AI and Automation Practice at IDC. "As AI providers, professionals and personal users, we must ask: GenAI is trusted, but is it always trustworthy? And are leaders applying the necessary guardrails and AI governance practices to this emerging technology?"
Learn more at today's LinkedIn Live panel moderated by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and featuring SAS, Deloitte and a guest speaker from IDC.
Access the full research report here: http://sas.com/ai-impact.
The research draws on a global survey of 2,375 respondents conducted across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Participants included a balanced mix of IT professionals and line-of-business leaders, offering perspectives from both technology and business functions.
Emerging AI technologies evoke most trust
Overall, the study found the most trusted AI deployments were emerging technologies, like GenAI and agentic AI, over more established forms of AI. Almost half of respondents (48%) reported "complete trust" in GenAI, while a third said the same for agentic AI (33%). The least trusted form of AI is traditional AI – less than one in five (18%) indicated complete trust.
Even as they reported high trust in GenAI and agentic AI, survey respondents expressed concerns, including data privacy (62%), transparency and explainability (57%), and ethical use (56%).
Meanwhile, quantum AI is picking up confidence quickly, even as the technology to execute most use cases has yet to be fully realized. Almost a third of global decision makers say they are familiar with quantum AI, and 26% report complete trust in the technology, despite real-world applications still in the early stages.
Lagging AI guardrails weaken AI impact ... and ROI
The study showed a rapid rise in AI usage – particularly GenAI, which has quickly eclipsed traditional AI in both visibility and application (81% vs. 66%). This has sparked a new level of risks and ethical concerns.
Across all regions, IDC researchers identified a misalignment in how much organizations trust AI versus how trustworthy the technology truly is. Per the study, while nearly 8 in 10 (78%) organizations claim to fully trust AI, only 40% have invested to make systems demonstrably trustworthy through AI governance, explainability and ethical safeguards.
The research also showed a low priority placed on implementing trustworthy AI measures when operationalizing AI projects. Among respondents' top three organizational priorities, only 2% selected developing an AI governance framework, and less than 10% reported developing a responsible AI policy. However, deprioritizing trustworthy AI measures may be preventing these organizations from fully realizing their AI investments down the road.
Researchers divided survey respondents into trustworthy AI leaders and trustworthy AI followers. Leaders invested the most in practices, technologies and governance frameworks to make their AI systems trustworthy – and appear to be reaping rewards. Those same trustworthy AI leaders were 1.6 times more likely to report double or greater ROI on their AI projects.
Lack of strong data foundations and governance stall AI
As AI systems become more autonomous and deeply integrated into critical processes, data foundations also become more important. The quality, diversity and governance of data directly influence AI outcomes, making smart data strategies essential to realizing benefits (e.g., ROI, productivity gains) and mitigating risks.
The study identified three major hurdles preventing success with AI implementations: weak data infrastructure, poor governance and a lack of AI skills. Nearly half (49%) of organizations cite data foundations that are not centralized or nonoptimized cloud data environments as a major barrier. This top concern was followed by a lack of sufficient data governance processes (44%) and a shortage of skilled specialists within their organization (41%).
Respondents reported the No. 1 issue with managing the data used in AI implementations to be difficulty in accessing relevant data sources (58%). Other leading concerns included data privacy and compliance issues (49%) and data quality (46%).
"For the good of society, businesses and employees – trust in AI is imperative," said Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer at SAS. "In order to achieve this, the AI industry must increase the success rate of implementations, humans must critically review AI results, and leadership must empower the workforce with AI."
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
SAS Innovate 2026 – a one-of-a-kind experience for business leaders, technical users, and SAS partners – is coming April 27–30, 2026 in Grapevine, Texas. Visit the SAS Innovate website for more information and to save the date!
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2025 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
| Editorial Contacts: | |
| Jennifer James | Julia Norton |
| jennifer.james@sas.com | julia.norton@sas.com |
| 919-531-0858 | 919-531-4661 |
| www.sas.com/news | |
Organizations building trustworthy AI are 60% more likely to double ROI of AI projects, underscoring the high cost of ignoring responsible practices
CARY, N.C., Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SAS, a global leader in data and AI, today unveiled new research that explores the use, impact and trustworthiness of AI. The IDC Data and AI Impact Report: The Trust Imperative, commissioned by SAS, found that IT and business leaders report having greater trust in generative AI than any other form of AI.
The global research exploring AI use and adoption also found that only 40% are investing to make AI systems trustworthy through governance, explainability and ethical safeguards, even though organizations prioritizing trustworthy AI are 60% more likely to double ROI of AI projects. Paradoxically, among those reporting the least investment in trustworthy AI systems, GenAI (e.g., ChatGPT) was viewed as 200% more trustworthy than traditional AI (e.g., machine learning), despite the latter being the most established, reliable and explainable form of AI.
"Our research shows a contradiction: that forms of AI with humanlike interactivity and social familiarity seem to encourage the greatest trust, regardless of actual reliability or accuracy," said Kathy Lange, Research Director of the AI and Automation Practice at IDC. "As AI providers, professionals and personal users, we must ask: GenAI is trusted, but is it always trustworthy? And are leaders applying the necessary guardrails and AI governance practices to this emerging technology?"
Learn more at today's LinkedIn Live panel moderated by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and featuring SAS, Deloitte and a guest speaker from IDC.
Access the full research report here: http://sas.com/ai-impact.
The research draws on a global survey of 2,375 respondents conducted across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Participants included a balanced mix of IT professionals and line-of-business leaders, offering perspectives from both technology and business functions.
Emerging AI technologies evoke most trust
Overall, the study found the most trusted AI deployments were emerging technologies, like GenAI and agentic AI, over more established forms of AI. Almost half of respondents (48%) reported "complete trust" in GenAI, while a third said the same for agentic AI (33%). The least trusted form of AI is traditional AI – less than one in five (18%) indicated complete trust.
Even as they reported high trust in GenAI and agentic AI, survey respondents expressed concerns, including data privacy (62%), transparency and explainability (57%), and ethical use (56%).
Meanwhile, quantum AI is picking up confidence quickly, even as the technology to execute most use cases has yet to be fully realized. Almost a third of global decision makers say they are familiar with quantum AI, and 26% report complete trust in the technology, despite real-world applications still in the early stages.
Lagging AI guardrails weaken AI impact ... and ROI
The study showed a rapid rise in AI usage – particularly GenAI, which has quickly eclipsed traditional AI in both visibility and application (81% vs. 66%). This has sparked a new level of risks and ethical concerns.
Across all regions, IDC researchers identified a misalignment in how much organizations trust AI versus how trustworthy the technology truly is. Per the study, while nearly 8 in 10 (78%) organizations claim to fully trust AI, only 40% have invested to make systems demonstrably trustworthy through AI governance, explainability and ethical safeguards.
The research also showed a low priority placed on implementing trustworthy AI measures when operationalizing AI projects. Among respondents' top three organizational priorities, only 2% selected developing an AI governance framework, and less than 10% reported developing a responsible AI policy. However, deprioritizing trustworthy AI measures may be preventing these organizations from fully realizing their AI investments down the road.
Researchers divided survey respondents into trustworthy AI leaders and trustworthy AI followers. Leaders invested the most in practices, technologies and governance frameworks to make their AI systems trustworthy – and appear to be reaping rewards. Those same trustworthy AI leaders were 1.6 times more likely to report double or greater ROI on their AI projects.
Lack of strong data foundations and governance stall AI
As AI systems become more autonomous and deeply integrated into critical processes, data foundations also become more important. The quality, diversity and governance of data directly influence AI outcomes, making smart data strategies essential to realizing benefits (e.g., ROI, productivity gains) and mitigating risks.
The study identified three major hurdles preventing success with AI implementations: weak data infrastructure, poor governance and a lack of AI skills. Nearly half (49%) of organizations cite data foundations that are not centralized or nonoptimized cloud data environments as a major barrier. This top concern was followed by a lack of sufficient data governance processes (44%) and a shortage of skilled specialists within their organization (41%).
Respondents reported the No. 1 issue with managing the data used in AI implementations to be difficulty in accessing relevant data sources (58%). Other leading concerns included data privacy and compliance issues (49%) and data quality (46%).
"For the good of society, businesses and employees – trust in AI is imperative," said Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer at SAS. "In order to achieve this, the AI industry must increase the success rate of implementations, humans must critically review AI results, and leadership must empower the workforce with AI."
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
SAS Innovate 2026 – a one-of-a-kind experience for business leaders, technical users, and SAS partners – is coming April 27–30, 2026 in Grapevine, Texas. Visit the SAS Innovate website for more information and to save the date!
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2025 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
Editorial Contacts:
Jennifer James
Julia Norton
jennifer.james@sas.com
julia.norton@sas.com
919-531-0858
919-531-4661
www.sas.com/news
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Study: Trust in GenAI surges globally despite gaps in AI safeguards
Bringing exclusive sports and lifestyle travel to a new level of convenience and exclusivity
HONG KONG, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CSTS Enterprises, together with its subsidiary Connexus Travel, announced a strategic partnership with JETBAY, Asia's largest private jet charter platform, to deliver premium, bespoke travel and hospitality experiences to clients across Asia.
The collaboration brings together CSTS' worldclass sports and leisure hospitality expertise, Connexus Travel's 78 years of trusted corporate travel management, and JETBAY's award- winning door-to-door private aviation experience. Together, the companies will design seamless, high-end itineraries that connect sports fans, corporate clients, and luxury travellers to major global events — including the World Cup 2026, international sporting tournaments, and premium lifestyle destinations.
Under the partnership, CSTS will leverage JETBAY's extensive global aircraft network and on-demand charter services to enhance its end-to-end solutions for global clients.
From tailored matchday journeys and corporate travel programmes to bespoke leisure itineraries, our clients will enjoy fully integrated experiences combining stadium hospitality, premium ground services, and curated cultural activities — all backed by real-time support and dedicated relationship management.
"Travel is no longer about simply getting from A to B — it's about creating meaningful, shareable moments before, during, and after the event," said Abel Zhao, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of CSTS. "By partnering with JETBAY, we aim to elevate our clients' journeys beyond the ticket, delivering a truly integrated 'experience economy' where convenience, comfort, and exclusivity come together."
"Our goal is to make worldclass events more accessible to time sensitive business and leisure travellers, and this collaboration is a big step forward," said Vivian Zhang, Co- founder of JETBAY. "By partnering with CSTS, JETBAY can bring a new level of comfort and convenience to fans travelling for major global events."
The partnership reflects growing demand in the Asia market for premium, experience- driven travel products. As global sports and entertainment continue to drive audience engagement and travel demand, CSTS and JETBAY aim to become the go-to providers for clients seeking sophisticated, end-to-end solutions that marry worldclass travel technology with hands-on human service.
About CSTS Enterprises Inc.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, CSTS Enterprises is an innovative media, entertainment, sports, and travel-technology group. CSTS is dedicated to becoming a global expert in developing and managing innovative, end-to-end integrated marketing solutions and services that connect international intellectual properties – such as major sports and entertainment events – with regional and local brands.
At its core, CSTS is a provider of innovative solutions across corporate travel, integrated marketing, and advanced technology services. Through deep knowledge of the industry and advanced technologies, CSTS delivers tech-enabled efficiency and cost-effective travel programs, transforming corporate travel into a seamless, value-driven experience.
For more information, please visit https://csts-enterprises.com/ or follow our Linkedin for latest updates.
About Connexus Travel Limited
Connexus Travel (formerly known as Swire Travel) 全旅達國際旅遊有限公司, License No: (350001), one of the earliest Hong Kong-registered and award-winning travel agencies, has been a trusted household name for over 78 years. As an innovative travel management company in the region, it delivers seamless, tech-enabled experiences, combining personalized 24/7 support with innovative digital platforms. Connexus Travel offers a full spectrum of travel services—including corporate, leisure, MICE, and sports/lifestyle travel—and plays a key role in promoting global events like the FIFA World Cup and Formula 1.
Connexus Travel is a subsidiary of CSTS Enterprises.
About JETBAY
JETBAY is Asia's largest private jet charter platform, leveraging proprietary AI technology to provide clients with the most efficient and cost-effective private aviation solutions globally. Headquartered in Singapore and backed by over 20 years of industry expertise, JETBAY offers a seamless booking experience and unparalleled service through its international offices in New York, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Shanghai. The company is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of safety, privacy, and luxury for its discerning clientele.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "plan," "project," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "expect," "aim," "believe," "intend," "may," "should," "will," "is/are likely to," "could" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about CSTS's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and CSTS does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Media Contacts
Wicky Yu
Corporate Communications, CSTS Enterprises Inc.
Phone: +852 2122 8545
Email: communications@csts-enterprises.com
Website: https://csts-enterprises.com/
Cody Lee Kar Hao
Branding and Marketing Manager, JETBAY
Phone: +65 6562 2988
Email: karhaolee@jet-bay.com
Website: https://www.jet-bay.com/
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
CSTS Enterprises and JETBAY Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Sports and Leisure Travel Experiences
