A Playbook for Building Trust at the Speed of Change
When I first walked into a computer lab as a seventh grader in Ecuador, I didn’t see lines of code; I saw possibility. I saw tools that could expand what humans could do for each other. That same instinct guides my work today: technology should enhance the human experience, not replace it.
And yet here we are. Algorithms shape what we see, what we buy, and even what we believe. At the same time, trust in institutions (including government, media, business, and even among individuals) is at an all-time low. It’s not just that we disagree on issues; we live in different realities. The question that keeps me up at night is this: Can we build trust in an age of algorithms? Because the challenge in front of us is bigger than whether machines get smarter. The real question is whether we will get more human.
What Trust Really Means
Before we go further, let’s be clear about what we’re actually talking about. Trust isn’t just a feeling; it’s a system with three pillars:
Predictability: Can I count on you to do what you say?
Vulnerability: Am I willing to take a risk based on your promise?
Shared values: Do we want the same things for the same reasons?
When algorithms curate our reality without our understanding, predictability vanishes. When institutions fail repeatedly, vulnerability becomes foolish. When echo chambers divide us, shared values disappear.
To be clear: algorithms aren’t inherently the problem. Humans design, regulate, and choose how to use them. But they amplify our choices and incentives at unprecedented scale and speed. The question isn’t whether we should eliminate algorithms, but whether we design them to optimize for human dignity or division.
The Great Unraveling
It doesn’t take much looking around to feel it, we are living in a trustless society. Neighbors divided. Institutions questioned. Newsfeeds curated for outrage. Algorithms reinforce the loudest extremes, and our common ground shrinks by the day.
This breakdown follows a familiar pattern. Every few generations, institutions lose legitimacy, trust collapses, and society enters a period of upheaval. Out of the chaos, new institutions emerge that carry us forward for decades to come. Analysts warn that we are now deep in one of those cycles. The 2008 financial crisis was an early warning. The turbulence (the rise of populism, collapsing trust in media, political polarization) is part of the pattern. The climax is still ahead.
Here’s what makes this cycle different: acceleration.
In past cycles, change unfolded more slowly. The Industrial Revolution took decades to reshape society. People had time to adapt, and institutions could evolve gradually. Not this time. By the time we adapted to the first wave of social media, artificial intelligence arrived. By the time we find our footing with AI, quantum computing, robotics, or biotech will knock again.
Our “hardware”—our human psychology, our communities, our trust-building instincts—hasn’t changed. However, the pace of disruption has accelerated exponentially. As Brandon puts it: “more volatility, less room for error.” That’s why trust feels so fragile. Every time we begin to adapt, another wave of change destabilizes us. And the algorithms driving our attention thrive on this instability.
When Data Meets Community
This challenge came into focus during a conversation with community leader Tomas León. His team created the Zip Code Exam, a platform where anyone can enter their zip code and see their predictive life expectancy. What they uncovered is staggering: your zip code can predict your health and lifespan more than your genetic code.
But here’s what mattered: they didn’t just publish numbers. They paired data with community voices. They walked neighborhoods, listened to residents, and turned invisible problems into visible insights. In one Phoenix neighborhood, residents discovered their area had the lowest tree coverage in the city. Armed with this data and their own stories, they successfully advocated for a $2 million investment in urban forestry.
That’s when Tomas shared a line I can’t shake: “Innovation moves at the speed of trust.” You can build the most sophisticated algorithm in the world, but without trust, it’s just code. The algorithm revealed the problem, but trust enabled the solution.
I saw this truth during a Sunday drive with my family around Phoenix, comparing neighborhoods by zip code. My kids noticed things I had missed: no shade in some communities, sidewalks abruptly ending, and no schools for miles. They were auditing invisible inequities in real time. That’s what rebuilding trust looks like: pairing data with lived experience, listening, and acting together.
Building Trust in an Age of Algorithms: The Human Era Emerges
We’re not just living through institutional upheaval, we’re witnessing the end of the Industrial Age and the beginning of the Human Era. The Industrial Age rewarded predictability and efficiency, treating people like variables to optimize. It gave us prosperity, but also rigid systems that often devalued the human spirit.
The Human Era flips the equation. Technology now automates routine work, revealing what only humans can do: create, empathize, imagine, and connect. In this new era, the premium experience is the human experience.
Let’s be honest: sometimes algorithms outperform human judgment. AI can diagnose diseases more accurately than doctors and optimize supply chains in ways humans never could. The question isn’t whether we should use these tools (we should). The question is who controls them and for what purpose.
More importantly, the question isn’t whether humans are always better decision-makers. We’re not. We’re biased, emotional, and tribal. The question is whether judgment, values, and dignity can be automated. They can’t. The difference isn’t about rejecting technology; it’s about designing technology to amplify human dignity rather than replace human agency.
This isn’t just philosophy; it’s economics. Companies with engaged employees outperform their peers by 23%. Customers who feel emotionally connected generate 2 to 3 times more lifetime value. Organizations with inclusive cultures are 70% more likely to capture new markets and recover 30% faster from disruptions. Meanwhile, companies that prioritize pure efficiency over trust face higher turnover, customer churn, and crisis recovery costs. The future doesn’t belong to the most automated. It belongs to the most human.
An Operating System for Trust: The ACT Framework
How do we lead in a world that won’t slow down? We need an operating system for trust. That’s the ACT Framework™: Adapt, Connect, Translate.
Adapt means naming uncertainty and taking reversible steps. When a manufacturing client implemented AI-powered quality control, their plant manager didn’t promise perfection. Instead: “We’re testing this on one production line for 30 days. We’ll share what we learn every Friday. If it’s not working, we’ll adjust or stop.” Trust grew because people could see the process and weren’t locked into irreversible decisions.
Connect means co-creation; people support what they create. That same plant didn’t just install the AI system; they trained floor supervisors to interpret data, adjust parameters, and suggest improvements. Six months later, workers were finding applications the engineers never imagined because they understood both the technology and the reality of production.
Translate means turning complexity into clarity. The plant manager didn’t talk about “machine learning algorithms.” He said, “This system helps you catch problems before they become defects. You’ll spend less time fixing mistakes and more time preventing them.” People could envision their workday improving.
ACT shortens the cycle from confusion to clarity, from resistance to ownership. It’s how we build trust at the speed of change. The principles are simple, but they require leaders who audit their automated systems, practice transparent experimentation, and measure trust alongside performance. Leaders who recognize that in an age of constant change, people don’t just need better algorithms; they need better reasons to believe.
To be clear: ACT isn’t a silver bullet for systemic problems like inequality or corruption. It’s an operating system for leaders to build trust within their sphere of influence while larger reforms unfold. It’s about controlling what you can influence rather than being paralyzed by what you can’t.
Two Possible Futures
Looking ahead, I see two paths before us. If we drift, volatility compounds, and algorithms reward division because outrage drives engagement. Institutions harden into control systems designed to manage rather than serve. Trust shrinks to echo chambers, and innovation slows.
If we act, the crisis resolves. People tire of permanent outrage and turn toward rebuilding. Transparent systems emerge from the chaos. Communities reinvest in culture and connection. Technology becomes an ally for dignity, rather than a substitute for it.
History tells us crises end with renewal, but the pattern isn’t guaranteed. It requires intentional action. Without trust-building leadership, the authoritarian path becomes self-fulfilling. The question is what kind of trust we will rebuild and whether we can build it fast enough to match the speed of change.
When I think back to that computer lab in Ecuador, the machines didn’t inspire me; the people did. Teachers who encouraged, classmates who dreamed big, and a family who pushed me to see possibilities where others saw limits. Innovation moves at the speed of trust, and trust moves at the speed of humanity.
The future will be more digital. That much is certain. Whether it will be more human, that depends on us.
If this resonates, I’d love to help your team build trust in an age of constant change. Explore my keynotes or reach out to start a conversation.
