Digital Trust Council

The Digital Trust Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit building certifications for trustworthy AI. It turns computational social science research into evaluation methods that measure what a system does in the world, and certifies companies that go past what compliance asks for. Its July 2026 whitepaper, Closing the AI Trust Gap, sets out the case.

Despite growing market pressure from regulators and consumers, no evidence-based standard for trustworthy AI exists that demonstrates the company’s commitment to positive social impact. Current standards either focus on risk mitigation and harm or lack the measureability and credibility for widespread market recognition.

Trust is a valuable market differentiator, but without an independent benchmark that consumers, shareholders, and regulators can trust, transparency can invite scrutiny and legal risk.

Compliance should be the starting place, not the finish line.