Beyond Chatbots, Majority of Consumers are Open to AI in Legal, Medical or Financial Matters

Almost ¾ of people are comfortable talking to an AI-powered chatbot for a customer service issue, and about 55% are comfortable with AI tech being part of their medical and financial matters, according to new research from Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM) – but most of these people would still want to know that AI was involved.

The majority of people say they believe AI will eventually be fully integrated throughout personal and professional work, replacing some activities entirely. More than half (53%) said they generally assume chat conversations with organizations are already using AI. Still, people are not prepared to welcome AI technology entirely.

Disclosure is Key for Consumers

While the majority of consumers recognize that AI technology is here to stay, they still have some hesitation about when and how it affects their lives. The majority (88%) of consumers want to know if they’re interacting with something created by AI, with 41% of consumers saying they always want to know.

In particular, consumers are most resistant to AI when it comes to situations that often rely on confidentiality and can have significant and long-lasting effects on their lives. They would least like AI to be involved in legal, financial and medical matters, even if the use of AI was disclosed. Older people are especially resistant, with more than half of people 55 years and older saying they would never be comfortable interacting with AI in those situations.

Despite their overwhelming desire to know when AI is involved, about a quarter (24%) of people still say they aren’t sure if they have interacted directly with AI. Less tech-savvy people are even less certain about whether they’ve encountered AI; 35% of people who say they don’t use new technologies don’t know if they have or not.

“AI has a lot of exciting potential as it’s moved from the realm of data scientists and academia to becoming one of the fastest growing consumer applications in history,” said Qualtrics Director of Product Management Ellen Loeshelle, who is leading AI development efforts at the company. “As AI is integrated into businesses, leaders can strengthen customer trust and relationships by being transparent about its use and focusing on protecting data and privacy.”

Customer Service Chatbots as an Early Touchpoint for AI

A popular early example of where people might encounter AI technology is customer service chatbots, and people are also generally comfortable with the idea of talking to them for their customer service needs (72% said they are).