# Stibo Systems reports hidden ‘trust tax’ on AI projects

> A new survey shows 65% of enterprise leaders still rework AI output, adding hidden labor costs.

Oossa · 2026-11-12 · https://oossa.com/en/stibo-systems-reports-hidden-trust-tax-on-ai-projects

Stibo Systems released a report called The Trust Tax. It finds that while 72% of leaders say they trust AI results, 65% still have to manually check or fix them. The survey of 400 U.S. firms with 500+ employees shows four in five spend at least six hours a week on data validation for AI. Only 29% can always explain the data behind an AI answer. Companies with mature data governance report twice the ROI on AI.

## The facts

- Survey of 400 business leaders, collected Aug 4‑10, 2026
- 65% of respondents manually validate AI output

## Why it matters

Enterprises may need to improve data governance to stop paying extra labor costs on AI.

## Sources & references

1. [Enterprises Are Paying for AI Twice: Stibo Systems Research Reveals "The Trust Tax"](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enterprises-are-paying-for-ai-twice-stibo-systems-research-reveals-the-trust-tax-302937108.html) – PR Newswire RSS, 2026-11-12

Last updated: 2026-11-12