A new international study from Leaps by Bayer, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Ipsos UK shows a world increasingly optimistic about breakthrough science—but also increasingly uneasy about how fast technology is reshaping daily life.

 

Based on in-depth interviews across China, Germany, and the United States, alongside a 2025 survey of more than 13,000 people in 13 countries, the research explores public attitudes toward artificial intelligence in healthcare, gene therapies, agricultural innovation, and cultivated meat.

 

The findings show broad global optimism about science and technology, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. Health innovations are viewed more positively than food and agricultural technologies, particularly in wealthier nations where urgency around food scarcity and climate change appears lower.

 

Distance from food production may be a factor: in countries like Germany and the US, only about 1% of people work in agriculture.

 

A participant in China captured the urgency around climate-driven innovation: “We can't change these [climate] challenges. […] If ordinary seeds struggle to survive, we definitely need to use new technologies to ensure sustainable development.”

 

The report highlights a striking paradox: AI is least trusted in regions where it is most widely used—especially among younger people.

 

While 72 percent of Gen Z respondents outside the US view AI positively for human health, that number drops sharply to 42 percent among US Gen Z respondents.

 

The study links this gap to real-world exposure: younger Americans and Europeans report familiarity with AI tools, but also concerns over misinformation, fake images, job displacement, and accountability gaps.

 

As one US participant put it: “It's always been like, the AI as compared to the best standard of care, but most people aren't getting a good standard of care. And so, if the alternative is nothing, then I think in almost every case a chatbot is probably better, even at current levels of regulation and current levels of accuracy”.

 

Across regions, acceptance of AI in healthcare depends heavily on whether humans remain clearly in control. While 64 percent of global respondents expressed positive views of AI in health, support rises significantly when AI is framed as assisting doctors rather than replacing them.

 

The report describes this preference as a demand for “augmented care” rather than “algorithmic care.”

 

A German participant reflected this balance: “I think that if we use AI, we can treat patients more quickly, maybe also more efficiently, and then save the time that we can use to do what currently isn’t possible. Perhaps to treat more patients, or maybe to spend more time with individual patients.” 

 

 

One of the study’s central findings is that public opinion is shaped less by technical understanding and more by underlying values such as fairness, safety, and “naturalness.”

 

It identifies three broad mindsets—Optimists, Rationalists, and Skeptics—that shape how people respond to new technologies. These are fluid rather than fixed categories, shifting depending on context and perceived risk.

 

Even skeptics, the report notes, can shift when confronted with personal stakes.

 

 

Trust in health authorities remains mixed globally, averaging 62 percent. However, confidence is significantly lower in Western high-income countries: 52 percent in Germany and 56 percent in the United States, compared with 73 percent in China.

 

The report emphasizes that transparency and communication are critical to rebuilding trust, citing the importance of scientists engaging more directly in public discourse.

 

“We see it as part of our responsibility at Leaps by Bayer to engage society and help build the trust required for transformative ideas to take root,” said Juergen Eckhardt, Executive Vice President and Head of Leaps by Bayer.

 

“Understanding public sentiment, and the mindsets and emotions behind those views, is a critical first step towards building acceptance for technologies that could drive significant impact.”

 

The study’s authors argue that the success of breakthrough technologies will depend not only on innovation, but on whether societies feel included, informed, and reassured about their impact.

 

As the report concludes, the challenge ahead is not just technological progress—but public acceptance in a world where change is accelerating faster than trust can keep up.