- For every one person who prefers interacting with AI, 4.4 prefer speaking with humans
- Baby-boomers are seriously anti-AI when it comes to customer service
- Report highlights the value of human connection
According to new research from Okta, 70% of consumers prefer interacting with humans, with only 16% opting for AI agents over humans.
In the UK, this trend is even more pronounced, with just 11% preferring AI agent interactions and one in two (54%) not even trusting AI with their personal data.
Moreover, barely one in three (36%) see any real benefit in AI agents altogether, suggesting that the productivity-enhancing technology might not be at its most useful in customer service settings.
Consumers just want humans
Artificial intelligence is most valued in language translation, research and writing – outputs that are task-orientated, rather than the transactional conversations that are typical of customer service agents.
Globally, Okta found that the ratio of those who prefer humans to those that prefer AI stands at 4.4:1, however countries like the US (4.2:1), Japan (3.4:1) and India (1.1:1) were less worried about talking with humans. Still, no country scored higher for AI, highlighting the importance of human interaction and involvement in customer service.
Okta also compared generations, with baby-boomers hugely less likely to want to talk to AI (41.5:1) – way more than Gen X (9.8:1), Millennials (3.2:1) and Gen Z (2.3:1).
Quite simply, it's the human touch that gives humans the upper edge – 'A human understands my needs better', said two in three (64%) respondents. Frustration when dealing with AI agents was also a significant frustration (38%).
However, there are some benefits to interacting with AI, including quicker and more streamlined responses without emotional bias.
Looking ahead, Okta calls for a measured and calculated approach to AI agents, building security and privacy-first initiatives into them from the get-go. "Finally, don’t overlook the value of human agents – if one thing is clear from the survey, it’s that users still value that human connection," the report concludes.
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