Americans Grow Receptive to AI for Customer Service, But Trust Remains an Issue

Despite concerns about job displacement, a majority of Americans believe artificial intelligence (AI) will enhance customer service.

Americans see AI integration as a gateway to 24/7 support and shorter wait times, two major pain points in traditional customer service, according to a survey conducted by cloud communications platform Infobip.

While AI might streamline service and offer 24/7 availability, it seems humans remain irreplaceable when it comes to building trust and fostering genuine connections.

Over 40% of Americans surveyed reported negative experiences with AI-driven customer service, describing it as “worse” than human interaction. Interestingly, over 50% of Americans are no longer certain whether they are interacting with an AI bot or a real human.

In addition, a majority (71.2%) of the surveyed said they still don’t trust AI-driven chatbot responses.

The survey also reveals a curious gender bias, with customers favoring male-voiced bots over female ones.  Perhaps the most surprising finding is the 18.2% of Americans who have formed “friendships” with chatbots.

“While chatbots are growing in popularity, the data shows that human interaction remains a key preference for most customers, with almost 90% of Americans (89.4%) still preferring to speak to a real human when seeking customer service,” said Infobip Chief Business Officer, Ivan Ostojić.