Where tech meets trust: aligning AI with consumers’ desires

Our new research finds that even AI-savvy consumers demand human involvement at key points in the purchasing journey—and business leaders must respond accordingly.

By unlocking unprecedented productivity gains, AI has turned business upside down. Workforce shifts are a massive component of these gains. As our New work, new world study projected last year, 90% of jobs will be affected by AI, most of them dramatically. Myriad roles that impact the customer experience could be automated: service reps, financial advisors, claims adjudicators, and more.

But AI is roiling the consumer world, too, and this is where things get complicated for leaders balancing bottom-line productivity against human factors. Our latest report, New minds, new markets, depicts a fragmented market that will challenge business leaders. The study reveals polarization among consumers where AI adoption is concerned; there are “accelerators” moving aggressively to incorporate the technology in their purchase journey, but there are also “anchors” resisting AI with every fiber of their being. And while the anchors hold the economic upper hand today, accelerators will be responsible for up to 55% of consumer purchasing activity by 2030.

In New minds, new markets, we dig into the emerging consumer battlegrounds and describe how businesses can rise to the challenge the AI-enabled consumer brings; here, I’ll examine the most important of these challenges: the role of humans on both the demand and supply side.

A crucial finding for business leaders focusing too intently on the productivity that AI can undoubtedly bring about: regardless of their keenness to adopt AI, consumers of all ages and demographics want human involvement at key moments of their consumer journey, even when AI could offer faster or more accurate outcomes.

Why is this the case? Two key factors emerged:

1. The stage of the purchasing journey matters. Many consumers are comfortable using AI to discover and shortlist products, but fewer would let it control the actual transaction. This preference intensifies with higher-stakes purchases such as healthcare or financial investments.
   
   
2. People don’t unilaterally trust that AI systems are making the right decisions on their behalf. Almost half of all consumers who won’t use AI to learn about or purchase products cite lack of trust in the technology’s accuracy, completeness, intent or underlying data security.

For businesses, factoring these critical consumer dimensions into the AI strategy is vital, even existential. Companies that view AI through the narrow lens of productivity and headcount, failing to factor in consumers’ desires and concerns, do so at their peril.

Age is a factor—but not the only factor

People’s age plays a role in their attitude toward AI, as you would expect. But it’s far from the only factor; personal finances, education and whether they have a young family all have an impact. In most cases, the differences between cohorts are subtle and surprising, and businesses must take this into consideration when forming an AI strategy.

For instance, 19% of individuals 55 and older would use AI to gain information about healthcare diagnostic services. However, only 7% would feel comfortable with AI being integrated into the actual product or service, and a mere 3% would permit AI to make purchases on their behalf. Younger adults, aged 25 to 34, are more receptive: 28% are open to AI assisting them in learning about diagnostic services, 21% are comfortable with AI's involvement when they use healthcare services, and 20% would relinquish purchasing control to AI.

This may lead healthcare organizations to focus primarily on younger consumers for AI-first experiences—but there’s crucial nuance. While older generations are skittish about ceding too much control over the purchase and afterwards, they’re nearly as likely as younger users to rely on Alexa or Siri to find and filter available services.

To appeal to both groups, businesses should focus on a blended approach, enabling AI-driven discovery while ensuring a seamless transition to human interaction for decision-making and service delivery.

An adaptable strategy is needed

As AI adoption accelerates, organizations must navigate evolving consumer expectations with care. To succeed, businesses should incorporate the following into their strategy:

• Beware a slow takeoff on a short runway: Our research indicates the rapid pace at which consumer adoption of AI is expected to influence the economy. Early adopting consumers are poised to implement this technology, exerting pressure on businesses either by explicitly demanding AI integration into their operations or by favoring AI-native companies. As this cohort of consumers becomes a more significant economic force, this pressure will increase exponentially, driving further adoption and integration of AI. Consequently, businesses have a limited timeframe to prepare, and those that do not act promptly may find themselves unable to keep pace. Companies that eliminate friction and deliver effective customer experiences across a range of modalities will capture consumers keen on AI—without alienating those who’d rather do without.
  
  
• Focus automation efforts where customer value and productivity align. Our research shows that companies seeking to transform their business model through productivity gains can and should do so as long as they are simultaneously creating value for customers.
  
  For example, in content development roles, which have high levels of exposure to automation, augmenting with generative AI tools can lead to hyperproductive writers and designers. This is an opportunity to better serve customers as well: a major consumer frustration today is difficulty understanding how products and services meet their needs. AI can enable personalized marketing that surfaces the most relevant products and explains the features and benefits most important to that individual.
  
  
• Design multi-modal workflows blending human and AI interactions. As our research demonstrates, attitudes toward AI are complex and varied. To account for this, businesses must work to integrate humans and bots into workflow processes to ensure a seamless experience for users.
  
  For instance, if a chatbot cannot resolve an issue, the system should recognize when a human operator is required. In financial services, clients may initially explore investment options with a chatbot or ask their voice assistant to identify top-performing funds. However, due to the significance of the decision, some may prefer not to finalize transactions solely through AI. In such cases, they must be transitioned smoothly to a human advisor who has immediate access to AI-driven insights regarding their profile and needs. Generally speaking, anywhere humans play a customer-facing role, they should be armed with AI tools that help them turn consumer “moments that matter” into the best possible experience.
  
  
• Emphasize human responsibility to reinforce trust and accountability. One of the most striking findings from our research is that many consumers just plain trust people more than they do AI. Even the most bullish consumers air concerns about the technology’s data security, completeness and accuracy of output. They also worry about the true motivations of the technology—and its designers. Organizations that want to be trusted must make clear that a human is in the loop and is ultimately accountable for the outcome—ready to provide explanations and context, or even take over the process entirely.

As AI reshapes industries and consumer expectations, businesses face a pivotal moment. The balance between automation and the human touch isn’t just a technological challenge—it’s a leadership opportunity. Organizations that succeed will be those that listen carefully to their customers, design adaptable strategies and empower their workforce to thrive in this new era.

Trust will remain the cornerstone of these efforts. By combining AI’s potential for efficiency with human oversight, businesses can build stronger connections with consumers, deliver value and foster confidence in their brand. For leaders, the imperative is clear: thoughtfully navigate the line between what could be automated and what should be, ensuring that technology and people work together to shape a better future.