Trusting AI to increase productivity? Perspectives Across the Global North and South

2026-07-11

AI Summary

This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by examining the relationship between trust in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and perceived user productivity within the context of the Global South. Employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates a systematic literature review, grey literature analysis, and a cross-regional online survey, the research reveals—for the first time—a nonlinear association between trust and productivity. Findings indicate that users in the Global South exhibit higher levels of trust in GenAI yet report no significant gains in productivity, whereas users in the Global North, despite lower trust, perceive greater efficiency improvements. These results demonstrate that trust alone is not a sufficient condition for enhanced productivity and underscore the pivotal roles of access conditions, task characteristics, and output verification in human-AI collaboration.

Abstract

Generative AI (GenAI) tools are widely used in academia and software development, where productivity gains may depend not only on technical capabilities but also on users' trust and contextual factors. This paper presents emerging results from an exploratory study investigating the relationship between trust in GenAI and perceived productivity, motivated by Global South contexts. We conducted a systematic literature review, complemented by a grey literature analysis and a survey study. The literature review identified no peer-reviewed evidence at the intersection of GenAI trust, productivity, and Global South settings, while the grey literature revealed only limited insights. At the time of writing, the survey has received 36 valid responses from participants across both the Global North and Global South, including individuals with cross-regional experiences. Preliminary results suggest that respondents born and working in the Global South tended to trust AI more, but did not usually report clear productivity gains from using it. In contrast, respondents born and working outside the Global South reported stronger productivity gains and greater time savings, even though they showed less trust in generative AI. These findings suggest that trusting AI is not enough on its own; productivity also depends on access, the type of task, and how much users need to check the output.

Problem

• Generative AI
• trust
• productivity
• Global South
• Global North

Innovation

• Generative AI
• Trust
• Productivity
• Global South
• Human-AI Interaction