Gong Reveals 'AI Trust Barrier' Costing Companies Competitive Edge

New research shows transparency is key to driving successful AI adoption in the enterprise.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 10:03pm by

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A highly detailed 3D illustration of glowing, interconnected cybernetic hardware components in shades of neon blue, purple, and orange, conceptually representing the complex infrastructure powering enterprise-grade AI systems.Gong's research reveals the critical need for transparency and trust in enterprise AI to drive widespread adoption and competitive advantage.San Francisco Today

Gong, the leading revenue AI company, has released new research revealing an AI trust barrier that stands between companies innovating with AI and those stuck in exploration and confusion. The study found that 58% of companies had stalled AI projects due to concerns over data privacy, security, and transparency, rather than a lack of budget. The research explored how transparency in how AI generates outputs is essential for leaders to trust, invest in, and deploy AI tools, with 75% of leaders feeling their organizations are falling behind in realizing AI's benefits.

Why it matters

The 'AI Trust Barrier' is costing companies their competitive edge, as more than half of companies have delayed or cancelled plans to adopt AI solutions due to lingering concerns. This suggests organizations are under-utilizing powerful AI capabilities and missing out on transformational gains. Addressing the trust gap is critical for companies to successfully implement AI and capitalize on its benefits.

The details

Gong's research, supplemented by findings from Gong Labs, showed that one in four sales calls referenced security, with uncertainty over AI's foundational data and learning mechanisms the most commonly discussed topics. The survey found several key barriers preventing companies from adopting AI solutions, including data privacy and security (34%), explainability (30%), model transparency (28%), and regulatory uncertainty (27%). To overcome these barriers, leaders said they need assurances like explainability, articulation of AI model guardrails, security guarantees, third-party audits, and transparency into training data and model logic.

  • The research was conducted by Censuswide between January 6 - 9, 2026.
  • The Gong Labs research analyzed aggregated, de-identified data from January 1 - December 31, 2025.

The players

Gong

The leading revenue AI company that helps organizations deeply understand their teams and customers, automate critical sales workflows, and close more deals.

Chris Peake

Chief Trust Officer at Gong, who said that 'security and AI trust are no longer back-office conversations; they are revenue conversations.'

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What they’re saying

“Security and AI trust are no longer back-office conversations; they are revenue conversations.”

— Chris Peake, Chief Trust Officer, Gong

What’s next

Gong is working to address the trust gap by building enterprise-grade security and data governance within its Revenue AI Operating System, producing explainable and relevant insights using its context-aware AI, and providing built-in governance and insight.

The takeaway

Overcoming the 'AI Trust Barrier' is critical for companies to successfully implement AI and capitalize on its transformational benefits. By prioritizing transparency, security, and explainability, organizations can drive greater AI adoption and gain a competitive edge in the market.