Trust has become one of the scarcest commodities in modern society.

That statement would have seemed dramatic a decade ago. Today, it feels like a simple observation of reality.

Survey after survey points to a growing trust deficit. News headlines reinforce it almost daily. We live in an era where people question institutions, experts, media, governments, businesses, and increasingly, each other. The decline did not begin recently, but the events of the past several years have accelerated it dramatically.

Society entered the 2020s already struggling with trust. Then came COVID-19, accompanied by conspiracy theories, misinformation, disinformation, and fierce disagreements about science, medicine, and public policy. Political polarization deepened. Social media amplified division. Then artificial intelligence arrived with astonishing speed, bringing enormous opportunities but also new challenges, including deepfakes, synthetic content, impersonation scams, and increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.

The result is a world where distinguishing reality from illusion has become more difficult than ever.

That is not merely a societal problem. It is a business problem. And it is one that internal auditors are uniquely positioned to help address.

The Growing Trust Crisis

The erosion of trust is not anecdotal. It is measurable.

For years, studies have documented declining confidence in institutions. An Edelman Trust survey described a “global implosion” of trust, with majorities in many countries expressing distrust of business, government, media, and non-governmental organizations.

More recently, researchers have pointed to the impact of technology and declining face-to-face interaction. A 2025 article in Psychology Today argued that the shift toward screen-based communication is quietly weakening interpersonal trust and social connection.

The numbers are equally troubling. According to research cited by Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who believe “most people can be trusted” has fallen significantly over the past several decades.

Trust is becoming harder to earn and easier to lose, and businesses are not immune.

Consider what is happening in hiring. A recent report highlighted what some have labeled an “AI doom loop.” Job candidates use AI tools to generate applications. Recruiters use AI to screen those applications. Candidates then use more AI to optimize their resumes to beat the screening algorithms. The process has become so automated that trust between employers and applicants is deteriorating rapidly. One survey found that only 8 percent of job seekers believe AI screening makes hiring fairer. Nearly half reported declining trust in the hiring process.

The hiring process is hardly unique. Similar concerns are emerging in customer service, financial services, marketing, journalism, and virtually every area where technology is increasingly mediating human interactions.

When trust disappears, business performance suffers, decision-making slows, and stakeholders become skeptical. Without trust, customers hesitate, employees disengage, and investors become cautious. Ultimately, reputations suffer.

Contrary to how some may view it, trust is not a soft issue. It is a business asset.

Why Internal Audit Matters More Than Ever

Against this backdrop, internal audit possesses something that has become increasingly valuable: credibility.

Internal auditors operate under a professional framework that emphasizes independence, objectivity, evidence, and integrity. Their role is not to advocate for management, regulators, investors, or employees. Their responsibility is to assess facts and communicate conclusions based on evidence. That distinction matters.

In an environment saturated with opinions, spin, misinformation, and manipulated content, stakeholders are searching for sources they can trust. Internal auditors can be one of those sources.

Their independence provides distance from organizational politics. Their objectivity helps reduce bias. Their disciplined methodologies create consistency. Their commitment to evidence creates confidence.

Those qualities are becoming a form of hard currency.

Management needs reliable information to make sound decisions and boards need confidence that risks are being identified and managed. Investors need assurance that controls are functioning effectively. Employees need confidence that ethical concerns are being addressed and customers need confidence that promises are being honored. Internal audit helps provide that confidence.

Trust Is a Competitive Advantage

For many years, internal auditors have emphasized assurance, and today assurance has become more valuable than ever. As AI-generated content becomes more difficult to distinguish from authentic information, organizations will increasingly need trusted mechanisms for validation and verification. Trust is dependent on knowing:

• Who reviewed the controls?
• Who assessed the risks?
• Who tested the processes?
• What was the source of the data?
• Who verified the results?

The answers to those questions matter.

Internal audit’s reputation for evidence-based conclusions positions the profession to play a critical role in helping organizations navigate a low-trust environment. This responsibility extends well beyond financial controls.

Internal auditors can help evaluate AI governance frameworks, assess data integrity, examine cybersecurity controls, and review ethical conduct programs. They can evaluate culture and identify risks associated with misinformation, fraud, and emerging technologies.

In short, internal auditors can help organizations determine what is real, what is reliable, and what deserves confidence. That ability is valuable today and will be indespionsible in the years ahead.

A Profession Built for This Moment

I have often argued that internal audit’s greatest value lies in helping organizations navigate uncertainty. Today’s trust deficit represents one of the defining uncertainties of our time.

When stakeholders question what they see, hear, and read, organizations need sources of truth. When confidence erodes, organizations need assurance. And when reality itself seems increasingly difficult to verify, organizations need trusted advisors.

Internal auditors are uniquely equipped to fill that role. Their independence protects credibility. Their freedom from bias yields trust.

At a time when trust has become increasingly scarce, that may be one of the most important services internal auditors can provide.