Survey of 2,000 UK and US adults finds AI and communication overload are changing how consumers trust and act on important information, with email emerging as the preferred channel for messages that matter

LONDON and BOSTON, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exclaimer, the global leader in email signature management, today released new research revealing that UK and US adults are increasingly turning to AI to help them communicate on a daily basis, but the technology's ability to create polished, professional content at scale is also making them more sceptical of the messages arriving in their inboxes and apps.

The survey of 2,000 UK and US adults found that while over half (58%) now use AI in their daily communications, 41% have questioned whether a message they received was genuine or legitimate.

The complexity of digital communication is being compounded by the sheer number of platforms people use. The average UK and US adult now juggles at least six communication channels each day, as messaging apps, workplace platforms, social media and email compete for attention and reshape how important information is shared.

More than one in five (22%) have missed important information because it was sent on a platform they rarely check, while the same proportion have struggled to find an important message because it was sent on what they considered the 'wrong' platform for that type of information. A further 18% have lost an important message because a communication platform deleted it, an account was closed or they changed devices.

Against this backdrop, consumers are becoming more deliberate about where important information is shared. Email emerged as the preferred channel for communications that matter, with over half (56%) of UK and US adults choosing it when they need to keep or refer back to information. More than a third (39%) have deliberately chosen email over another platform to create a permanent record, suggesting consumers increasingly value channels that provide a clear, accessible trail of important communications.

"Businesses often focus on how quickly and widely they can get a message out. What this research suggests is that, for the things that genuinely matter, consumers care far more about whether they can trust it and feel confident about who sent it," said Jenny Herbison, SVP of Global Marketing at Exclaimer. "When something is important, people still turn to email because it carries a level of trust and legitimacy they don't always associate with other channels. Part of that is the fact that email provides a lasting record of communication that people can refer back to when they need to verify information or confirm what was said. In a world of constant notifications and competing platforms, that combination of trust, accountability and permanence is becoming increasingly important."

The medium shapes the message

The research suggests that where a message is sent is increasingly shaping how it is received. Nearly half of UK and US adults (48%) say the platform used affects how trustworthy a message feels, while 46% believe it influences professionalism and 37% say it impacts how seriously the recipient takes it.

The findings also suggest the medium doesn't simply shape the message; it can determine whether it is seen at all. Younger consumers are significantly more likely to miss important information because it was sent on a platform they rarely check, with 33% of 18-24-year-olds reporting this, compared to just 15% of those aged 55 and over. Older consumers, meanwhile, are far more likely to keep important messages for future reference, with 62% of those aged 65 and over saying they have done so, compared to 35% of 18-24-year-olds.

The end of email? Absolutely not

New platforms may have changed how people chat, share quick updates and make social plans, but when something has long-term value or consequences, many still turn to email. It remains the preferred channel for making formal complaints to a company (cited by 51% of UK and US adults), receiving important updates like benefits or HR updates from an employer (47%), applying for or discussing a job opportunity (32%), and receiving healthcare information or results (29%).

That reliance on email for important information is placing a greater emphasis on trust. With phishing still the most common cyber threat facing UK and US businesses, and AI making fake messages harder to spot, consumers are looking for clear signs that an email is trustworthy. And older generations are the most sceptical: over half (53%) of those aged 65 and over say they have questioned whether a message was genuine or legitimate, compared to 26% of 18–24-year-olds.

When judging whether an email is genuine, the top three trust signals UK and US adults look for are full contact details (45%), a professional company email address (44%) and a clear sender name (31%). Older consumers are more likely to rely on practical signals, with 53% of those aged 65 and over saying full contact details make an email feel trustworthy, compared to 38% of 18–24-year-olds. Gen Z, meanwhile, is twice as likely as the Silent Generation (28% vs. 14%) to view visual cues like company logos and branding as trust signals. Professional email signatures resonate most with working-age adults, with almost a third (31%) of 25-44-year-olds saying they increase trust.

AI enters the chat
The role of AI in everyday communication is expanding from editing words to managing impressions. More than half (58%) of UK and US adults now use AI in some aspect of their communications, most commonly to improve grammar and spelling (21%) or make their writing sound more professional (20%). Others increasingly use it to shape how they come across, with 14% using AI to sound more confident, 12% to soften difficult messages and 9% to avoid awkward conversations altogether.

AI usage falls sharply with age. Just 30% of those aged 65 and over say they use AI in their daily communications, compared with 79% of 25-34-year-olds and 82% of 18-24-year-olds. Younger consumers are also more likely to use AI to navigate difficult social situations. One in five Gen Z consumers (20%) use AI to soften difficult messages, while a similar proportion (19%) use it to avoid awkward conversations, compared to just 5% and 2% of Baby Boomers respectively.

You can access Exclaimer’s full When it Matters: How People Really Communicate study here: https://exclaimer.com/blog/how-people-really-communicate/

About Exclaimer: Exclaimer is the global leader in email signature management for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Its cloud platform enables organisations to centrally manage and automate email signatures and video meeting branding, ensuring consistent corporate identity, reducing brand and compliance risk, and meeting regulatory requirements across everyday business communications. Built for IT and valued by Marketing and Compliance teams, Exclaimer eliminates manual updates, enforces brand governance, and gives organisations greater control over their most critical business communication channels.

Exclaimer is trusted by more than 9 million users across 80,000 organisations worldwide, including Sony, Mattel, Bank of America, NBC, the Government of Canada, the BBC, and the Academy Awards. Learn more at www.exclaimer.com or follow Exclaimer on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

Methodology: Research was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Exclaimer between 26 May and 2 June 2026. The survey polled 2,000 adults across the UK and US, with results nationally representative by age, gender and region in each market.

Media relations contacts:

Exclaimer: press@exclaimer.com
UK agency: exclaimer@clarity.global
US agency: exclaimerpr@watersagency.com

This item of content is a press release from a third party provider who make no warranties or representations in connection with this content and therefore PA can make no warranties in respect of its use.

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