New data published last week by Genesys, a provider of cloud-based, AI-powered CX solutions, indicates there are some disconnects between the readiness and willingness of businesses to deploy agentic AI and the trust and acceptance of consumers who’ll ultimately interact with it.
For example, while 81 percent of CX leaders trust agentic AI with sensitive customer data, just 36 percent of consumers feel the same. Similarly, 74 percent of businesses indicated they’re comfortable using agentic AI for billing, financial transactions and account security, while consumers were more hesitant. Of those surveyed, only 35 percent of consumers were comfortable with the technology handling money transfers, 49 percent with resolving billing issues and 50 percent with updating personal information.
When it comes to overall customer service resolution, though, more than half of consumers (58 percent) said they don’t care whether the issue their experiencing is resolved by a human or AI as long as it’s “handled quickly and completely.” This indicates that the efficiency and effectiveness of the technology can overcome consumer skepticism, analysts said.
To gather its data, Genesys commissioned an independent research firm to survey 4,000 consumers and 1,600 CX and IT decision-makers in more than 10 countries. Industries represented in the survey (conducted in June) were airlines, automotive, banking, government, health care, insurance, manufacturing, media and entertainment, professional services, retail, travel and hospitality, technology, telecommunications and utilities.
Part of the consumer trust gap is the desire for transparency and accountability from businesses deploying agentic AI. While four out of five consumers surveyed said they want clear governance of AI interactions, less than one-third (31 percent) of business leaders indicated their organizations currently have comprehensive, companywide AI policies and oversight in place.
The good news for channel partners is businesses are enthusiastic about the technology and its potential. In all, 91 percent of CX leaders surveyed believe agentic AI will empower their organizations to deliver faster, more effective, personalized service. However, while more than 90 percent of business leaders agreed that strong governance is critical, 28 percent of those who admitted to not having any AI policies in place believe their organizations are still ready to deploy the technology for CX.
The lack of AI oversight structures poses “risks to consumer trust, brand reputation and regulatory compliance,” Genesys officials warned.
“Agentic AI is opening up exciting new possibilities for how organizations serve their customers, but earning consumer trust has to grow alongside that progress,” said Olivier Jouve, chief product officer at Genesys. “As these systems take on more responsibility, it’s essential that businesses stay transparent and accountable in how they’re used. With the right guardrails in place from the start, companies can build lasting confidence by responsibly innovating customer experiences that deliver new levels of personalization and effectiveness.”
One barrier channel partners may have to help businesses overcome is distrust of AI reliability. Interestingly, while 37 percent of consumers believe that AI “hallucinates” or fabricates information, 59 percent of CX leaders echoed this view, with concerns that so-called hallucinations pose serious risks to customer loyalty, litigation and brand reputation.
Additional research findings from Genesys’ inaugural agentic AI survey can be viewed here.
