Do people trust AI answers more when they cite trusted news brands?

Yes — an AOP/Ipsos survey of 1,000 UK adults found trust in an AI answer averaged over 90% when it cited a fully trusted source, versus about 10% for a distrusted source and 25% for a neutral one.

A summation glyph on a deep red field — Illustration: AEO Wire

AOP-commissioned study — publisher trade body

Press Gazette AI · Jul 27 Aug 1 Research AEO

Study ties AI answer trust directly to the news brands it cites

Q: Do people realize AI tools can fabricate sources?

Not always — 37% of respondents didn't realize AI tools can fabricate information or sources, rising to 45% among those aged 45-54, per the same survey.

The Association of Online Publishers’ AI Publisher Impact Study, conducted by Ipsos among 1,000 UK adults and reported by Press Gazette, finds trust in an AI-generated answer tracks the trustworthiness of the source it cites: over 90% when the source is fully trusted, about 25% when neutral, and roughly 10% when distrusted. Distrusted citations also produced far fewer click-throughs, while highly trusted ones sometimes led users to stop at the AI answer without clicking further. Separately, 37% of respondents said they didn’t realize AI tools can fabricate information or sources, rising to 45% among those aged 45-54.

Why it matters: Publisher brand trust is turning out to be a direct input to AI answer credibility, raising the stakes of which sources engines choose to cite.

Via Press Gazette AI ↗

Posted to the wire August 1, 2026.

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Study ties AI answer trust directly to the news brands it cites

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