The global story of AI
Developed in partnership with CARMA, this report explores how AI is being framed in global media coverage, how audiences feel about its impact, and where perception gaps are emerging between public sentiment and organisational behaviour.
The study combines media analysis across 37 markets, public opinion research in 19 markets, and practitioner insight from IPREX members in 14 markets.
About the report
Hype, hope or harm? The report assesses how artificial intelligence is framed in global media coverage, measures public sentiment toward AI, identifies gaps between media narratives and audience perceptions, and provides strategic insight for communicators navigating trust, risk, opportunity and responsibility.
Opportunity still leads
Global media continues to frame AI primarily as a productivity and efficiency story, even as caution and scrutiny increase.
Trust is the next battleground
Safety, misuse prevention, transparency and human oversight are becoming more central to how audiences judge AI.
Capability lags adoption
Practitioners report that clients are already using AI widely, but often without mature processes, clear governance or internal confidence.
IPREX global practitioner perspectives
To complement the report findings, IPREX member agencies shared what they are hearing directly from clients in their own markets. Their responses show that adoption is widespread, but execution remains uneven, with recurring themes around governance, human oversight, trust, regulation and the need to move beyond hype.
Americas
Contributors describe a market moving quickly toward adoption, but not always with consistent governance or mature communications practice.
“Clients are more open to AI than the general public, but many still have not figured out how to use it properly.”
“Communications work best when they focus on practical business outcomes rather than abstract AI narratives.”
“AI output still needs strong editing, verification and human judgement.”
“AI can help with ideation and speed, but it is not the equivalent of a human advisor.”
EMEA
Contributors repeatedly stress measured messaging, human control, transparency and the need for communications to stand up to scrutiny.
“There is clear interest in AI’s upside, but also concern about hype, job impact and preserving human creativity and trust.”
“There are obvious productivity benefits, but also fear of the unknown, which makes transparency and governance especially important.”
“Communications must keep the personal touch.”
“In Germany, governance is the spine of the story.”
APAC
Responses point to a pragmatic, value-led conversation about AI, with a strong emphasis on human judgement, confidentiality and authenticity.
“Transparency and governance need to lead the conversation.”
“Human review and verification are still essential.”
“AI communications work best when AI is framed as an accelerant, not a replacement.”
“Communication around AI needs to stay grounded in real use cases, clear outcomes and responsible use.”
Download the full study
Read the full CARMA x IPREX report for global findings, communications implications and practical insight into how AI narratives are evolving across markets.
- 12,000 articles analysed across 37 markets.
- 6,300 public opinion responses across 19 markets.
- Open-ended perspectives from 25 practitioners across 14 markets.