By Monica Talan, Partner

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Meredith Klein for an upcoming episode of If I Only Had 10 Minutes, Season 3.

When I asked her to choose one word that describes great communications, she said: trust.

That answer stayed with me, especially after reading the new Burson Pulse 2026⁠ research. The study captures something many communicators are feeling right now: people are anxious, skeptical, and paying closer attention to what companies and leaders say and do.

Burson surveyed more than 1,600 U.S. adults and found that confidence in major institutions remains low. CEOs, large corporations, Congress, and traditional media all earn the confidence of fewer than one in four Americans. At the same time, people still place confidence in friends, family, small businesses, and leaders who feel close, consistent, and accountable. For communicators, that matters.

We are operating in an environment where reputation can weaken gradually, long before there is a formal crisis. Burson found that 48% of Americans have lost their belief in a company without being able to point to one specific moment. That should get every communications leader’s attention. Trust is often lost in small ways: unclear decisions, inconsistent messages, silence when people need clarity, or values that sound good but do not show up in behavior.

And AI adds another layer. According to Burson Pulse, only 30% of employed Americans strongly agree that their employer is being transparent about how AI may affect jobs and roles. Fifty-seven percent say AI is already changing their job whether they are ready or not, and 78% believe AI is growing faster than companies and governments can manage responsibly.

That is not just a technology issue. It is a communications issue, a leadership issue, and a culture issue. Employees do not need every answer today. Most people understand that AI is moving quickly and that organizations are still figuring out what it means. But they do need candor about what is known, what is still uncertain, and how decisions will be made. Silence creates room for fear. Overly polished messaging can make people more suspicious. Clear, steady communication helps people stay grounded.

One of the strongest findings in the Burson research is that people want consistency. They want leaders who are honest when news is difficult, direct even when people disagree, and clear about what the company stands for before pressure hits. That is where communicators can bring real value.

This is also where AI should be handled with care. AI can help us move faster, analyze more information, and create better systems for listening. It can help teams understand stakeholder concerns earlier and respond with more precision. But AI cannot replace the judgment required to build trust. It cannot decide what an organization should stand for. It cannot make employees feel respected if leadership is treating communication as an afterthought.

The opportunity for communications leaders is to help organizations connect AI adoption to trust, not only productivity. That means asking better questions:

  • How are we explaining AI decisions to employees?
  • Are we being clear about what will change and what will not?
  • Are we giving people a chance to learn, adapt, and participate?
  • Are our external messages aligned with the internal experience?

Are we communicating before anxiety turns into distrust?

As Meredith reminded me, great communications comes down to trust. And trust is going to matter even more as organizations navigate AI, change, and rising expectations from employees and stakeholders. Season 3 of If I Only Had 10 Minutes is coming soon. In the meantime, you can catch up on previous episodes here.