A Poll About AGI Reveals Something Bigger
In this week’s AI Signal, I shared a simple poll that asked who people want to win the AGI race. What struck me was not the ranking but the message beneath it. People were not choosing the most advanced models or the boldest roadmaps. They were choosing the company they trusted (Google).
That idea has stayed with me, because the same shift is happening inside the insights industry.
Clients Do Not Want AI. They Want Insights That Come Alive.
Clients are not hunting for agencies that can show off AI tools. They want partners they can trust at a moment when insight creation is changing quickly. Trust that the partner understands AI for sure. But also trust that the partner will use their data responsibly. And above all, trust that the partner will deliver insights that come alive for their stakeholders.
Because at the core, clients do not want technology for its own sake. They want their stakeholders to feel something. They want their stakeholders to emotionally connect with the customers behind the data. They want stories that move leaders to act on behalf of customers. They want their insights to have weight, presence, and emotional resonance. AI can help, but it is not the point.
Trust Is the New Currency of Insight
This is where trust becomes the differentiator. Clients need to know their partner is not feeding their data into training models without permission. They need to know the agency understands where AI excels and where it fails. They need to know the judgment behind the insight is still human, thoughtful, and grounded in experience. And they need to know every tool, including AI, is being used to elevate the clarity of the story rather than automate it.
As AI accelerates, the temptation is to focus on the technology. But the savvy clients are watching the relationship. They pay attention to how their partner communicates, how transparent they are about their process, how they handle sensitive data, and how committed they are to the craft of storytelling. In a moment full of shortcuts and half-steps, clients are looking for steadiness and integrity.
Where Insights Is Headed
The irony is that AI makes trust more valuable, not less. When everyone has access to similar tools, trust becomes the only real moat. It determines which insights get believed, which stories travel inside an organization, and which partners remain indispensable as AI reshapes the landscape.
The future of this industry will not belong to the agencies with the most AI features. It will belong to the agencies clients feel safe trusting with their truth. The ones who understand that insights are ultimately about connection. About bringing the voice of the customer alive in a way that no dashboard ever could.
AI is helping us get there faster.
Trust is what keeps insight work meaningful, even as everything around it changes.
