Trust has traditionally been built through personal relationships, institutions and reputation over time. Today, it is increasingly mediated by digital systems.
Ratings, reviews and algorithmic recommendations now influence decisions about where people shop, eat, travel and work.
Platforms such as Uber and Airbnb rely heavily on these systems, allowing strangers to interact based on shared signals of reliability.
While this can increase efficiency and access, it also introduces new challenges. Ratings can be biased, manipulated or shaped by factors unrelated to actual quality.
There are also broader concerns about how algorithms prioritise information and whether users fully understand how decisions are made.
As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life, questions of trust extend beyond individuals to the systems themselves.
Experts say the future of trust will depend on transparency, accountability and the ability of users to understand and influence the systems they rely on.
In that sense, trust is not disappearing — it is being restructured through technology.
