What can Retailers do about Consumer’s AI Concerns?

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Date
31 July 2018

While consumers are more aware of artificial intelligence (AI) through chatbots, voice assistants and intelligent homes, they’re also confused and wary about the technology.

An online survey of 2,000 consumers in the U.S. and U.K from FleishmanHillard found 45 percent either agree or strongly agree that the positive aspects of AI outweigh the negatives. Forty-nine percent agreed that AI is an “exciting and exhilarating topic” and automation will change lives and jobs for the better.

Only 31 percent of those surveyed, however, feel that they had already seen the benefits, and 40 percent had not seen a difference. Fifty-six percent further agreed that AI needs more regulation and restrictions. FleishmanHillard said that proper education may temper those concerns. Indeed, 53 percent of those surveyed agreed that education from businesses, government and academia about the role of AI in society needs to improve.

“We need to reassure both businesses and consumers that AI is not about remote science-fiction style gadgets in 2050. It’s about tools — now and today — that can drive productivity, boost profitability and, done correctly, help everyone live better lives,” said Sophie Scott, global managing director of FleishmanHillard’s technology sector group, in a statement.

A recent survey of 10,000 consumers from Capgemini’s Digital Transformation Institute likewise found both positive and negative consumer opinions about AI.

On the positive side, 73 percent had interacted via AI, and 69 percent of those who have used AI indicated they were satisfied with those interactions. Sixty-three percent of AI-aware consumers like it because of its 24/7 availability and how it provides greater control over their interactions. Forty-eight percent of overall survey respondents saw the possibility of delegating tasks to a virtual assistant as exciting.

However, while Capgemini’s survey respondents are keen for AI to have a human-like voice (62 percent) and the ability to understand human emotions (57 percent), 52 percent are not comfortable when AI is set up to look like a person. The report also finds that two-thirds of consumers (66 percent) would like to be made aware when companies are enabling interactions via AI.

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