James Balneaves, Marketing and Business Development Manager, SYZYGY
In recent years, scores of technological advances have entered the medical, consumer and corporate markets. It would be difficult to imagine a time without the ease of apps, programmes and devices that make our work and daily lives easier and healthier. Many of these technologies have been propelled by COVID, as businesses developed innovative ways to automate their systems and navigate the new normal. As part of this process the public saw an influx in the deployment of robotics and automated systems over a number of industries such as healthcare which have since become commonplace, or at the very least widely acknowledged and openly received.
While many consumers’ understanding of AI is limited to phenomena such as Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse, in reality the uses and applications of robotic automation go far beyond social media. And yet, with new technologies inevitably come questions from the public about how they work, how they will impact or improve daily life and their cultural implications. To further understand the extent to which AI, automation and other forms of robotics have entered into the marketplace and anticipate how their role will adapt in the coming months and years, we conducted thorough research to examine honest consumer attitudes in the UK. In a world increasingly led by data and technology, the results of this research will inform our relationship with AI and other forms of robotics in future, which will be pivotal for businesses looking to shape their digital ecosystem in a way that benefits and instils trust in the consumer.
In the first instance we felt it necessary to examine the general consensus surrounding digital and artificial intelligence. The research found that some 58% of UK consumers consider themselves either late adopters or even sceptical of new technology, which suggests that while digital advances may reap tangible benefits to the work or daily lives of consumers, they may prove reticent towards adopting them. Interestingly, however, in terms of commercial customer experience, over a third (31%) of respondents revealed that they still see a significant shortfall between a brand’s offering and a focus on innovating their service, improving customer service and accessibility and efficiency.
Though seemingly unrelated, the synergy of these two statistics demarcates the unique role that AI may come to fill in the coming months and years. Given that customer service, accessibility and efficiency have waned, perhaps due to the results of rapid and widespread COVID-led digitalisation which many organisations might not have been adequately prepared for, a vacuum has appeared. While there is an inequality between consumer trust in AI and brands’ needs to improve their services, this vacuum offers brands and AI technologies a unique way to build trust and consumer connection, in addition to optimising a service or offering.
Key here will be ascertaining in which industries to begin building this relationship between AI and customer connections. Our research found that only 28.3% of the overall population, alongside 21.27% of self-proclaimed tech sceptics are very comfortable with the concept of artificial intelligence, virtual assistants and robotic automation being introduced into their daily lives outside of work, in comparison to some 18.3% and 20.03% claiming to be very uncomfortable among the general public and sceptics respectively. For businesses, then, these findings tell us that widespread deployment of AI technologies may cause concern and reticence among a large portion of a consumer brands’ target market, deterring rather than attracting them.
That said, on the other side of the scale, respondents were far more receptive to the idea of introducing artificial intelligence and robotic automation into the workplace. This may well soon become the norm for many organisations, which is already beginning to be seen from the likes of Microsoft, whose recent investment in OpenAI’s AI-powered DALL-E2 system will integrate the programme into the art programmes of the Microsoft Office suite – a real feat of innovation for those working in creative industries. With regards to introducing workplace AI and similar technologies, some 26.6% of the general public and 20.07% of sceptics respectively claim to be very comfortable with the idea. This may be due to the simple fact that if such technologies make workloads and processes more efficient to benefit consumers, they are more amenable to adopting them into the workplace.
But why not bring the same attitude to consumer markets? As more brands focus on their digital presence and streamlining their systems, features such as in-app AI customer service could help to bridge the gap between functionality and forging long-standing customer connections. Though it may be understandable that consumers prove reticent to new technologies, particularly when understanding of these technologies remains low and confined to niche markets and vocations, the potential applications of AI in B2C markets could prove incredibly fruitful for consumers and businesses alike. There may always be something frightening about the new and unknown, but with it comes an endless world of opportunity that is accepted, and in some instances even revered, over time. As knowledge of AI grows among the general public, so too will their willingness to integrate these technologies into retail, hospitality and their daily lives, offering businesses ample opportunity to get ahead of the game and start shaping the future of consumer connection today.
