Mapping trust in artificial intelligence across Europe: a cluster-based comparative analysis

The successful integration of AI into organisations depends heavily on users’ trust in AI technologies. This paper examines the dynamics of trust in AI within a European context, exploring how citizens’ perceptions are shaped by the integration of technology into everyday life, professional environments, and overall digital literacy. The study aims to identify structural patterns of acceptance or resistance to AI by analysing three key relationships: AI in daily life – AI trust; ICT in daily life – AI trust; and AI in employment – AI trust. The study uses national-level secondary data from 35 countries and applies a quantitative, unsupervised machine-learning approach (K-means clustering) to identify country profiles. Cluster robustness is assessed using complementary statistical validation criteria and ANOVA to compare group means and test for significant differences across clusters. The results indicate substantial digital fragmentation across Europe and show that trust in AI is highly context-dependent. Thus, three main profiles were identified: Digital Champions (high integration and high trust), Sceptical Pragmatists (high infrastructure but moderate/low trust), and Cautious Emergents (lower technological integration coupled with scepticism). The research highlights that simply using technology does not guarantee a positive attitude towards AI. The multidimensional analysis suggests that fears related to the labour market and private ethics pose substantial barriers to technological adoption.