Dive Brief:
- Consumers say the most desirable AI agent is a deal hunter, according to a survey released Wednesday by the IBM Institute for Business Value and the National Retail Federation. It should be able to monitor prices across brands and factor in discounts and loyalty rewards to alert them of the best time to buy.
- The next most popular AI use case is a 24/7 customer service agent capable of handling inquiries, resolving issues and providing personalized support across all touchpoints, according to the survey of 18,000 consumers.
- Customers are using AI for a variety of tasks, with 45% saying they have used AI to get help. Another 41% have used the technology to research products, while one-third have used it to look for reviews.
Dive Insight:
Many customers are embracing AI for product discovery and customer service, but trust remains a barrier to wider adoption.
Only 24% of consumers trust AI-powered recommendations outright, according to the IBM and NRF survey. Another 17% validate AI’s findings using social media content, while 22% cross-reference sources when researching products.
Consumer trust in AI will grow as it becomes a part of everyday life, but it still needs to be earned through consistent, reliable and transparent experiences, according to Dee Waddell, global head of consumer, travel and transportation industries at IBM Consulting.
The best path to building this trust is to ensure AI offers customers truthful recommendations without hallucinations, according to Waddell.
“Imagine asking for a new pair of shoes and having AI instantly surface options that match your style and budget and what’s in stock, using accurate, up-to-date product data brands can stand behind,” Waddell said in an email. “That level of usefulness is hard to replicate on your own, and once consumers experience it consistently, AI will stop feeling experimental and start feeling indispensable.”
AI customer service agents are a natural starting point for companies aiming to build trust alongside their technological capabilities, according to Waddell. AI in customer service is mature compared to other applications, and automated agents can proactively alert customers and fix problems to build confidence and positive relationships.
Leaders still need to remember that their AI agents are only as good as the data that feed them whether they are recommending products or helping them with a customer service inquiry, Waddell said. When customers feel like information is manipulated or a bot is hallucinating, trust can quickly disappear.
“When clean, source-of-truth data, shared standards that keep systems in sync, and governance that sets clear guardrails are in place, AI agents will stop feeling abstract and start feeling like something you can truly rely on,” Waddell said.
