Observed Signal · Feb 26, 2026 · Research Study · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Consumers Demand Trustworthy AI in Customer Service
Research by Pegasystems Inc. and YouGov polling more than 4,700 consumers in North America and the U.K. finds widespread distrust in AI-driven customer service. Major findings include low confidence in businesses' use of GenAI (64% not confident), concerns about responsible use (53%), and frequent unsuccessful outcomes from AI interactions (46% say they rarely or never get successful results). Consumers overwhelmingly prefer human support for better outcomes (77% say humans “always” or “often” achieve better results; 66% prefer human-led support), and only 2% want exclusively GenAI chatbots. The study concludes that businesses should move beyond simple chatbots toward more predictable AI agents that reliably complete customer tasks to rebuild trust and improve service outcomes.
Findings signal meaningful consumer distrust in AI customer service; relevant to MarTech vendors, CX platforms, and conversational AI deployments but not immediately industry-shifting.
Track YouGov Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Pegasystems Inc. and YouGov conducted a survey of more than 4,700 consumers in North America and the United Kingdom.
- 64% of respondents reported they are either "not very confident" or "not at all confident" in how businesses use GenAI when interacting with them.
- 53% of respondents lacked confidence that organizations use GenAI responsibly.
- 46% said they "rarely" or "never" get successful customer service outcomes through AI-powered interactions.
- 77% say they "always" or "often" achieve better outcomes when dealing only with a human; only 2% want to interact exclusively with GenAI chatbots.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
43% of Consumers Would Pay More for Guaranteed Human Support
Alchemer's 2026 AI & Customer Expectations Report, based on a survey of 2,009 U.S. consumers, reveals that AI is raising customer expectations faster than it improves experience. While nearly 60% expect faster responses from AI-using companies, 89% report at least one negative impact, with the top complaint being difficulty reaching a human (44%). Consumers also cite AI misunderstandings and repetitive information as issues, and 43% would pay more for guaranteed human support. Daily AI users are more critical: 40% find AI impersonal (vs. 22% of others) and 27% would pay for human support (vs. 10%). The study underscores the need for better AI metrics beyond response time, focusing on understanding intent and seamless human escalation.
Majority Prefer Avoiding Customer Service, Genesys Study Finds
Genesys released the fifth edition of its "State of Customer Experience" report, reporting high consumer dissatisfaction with customer service and rising expectations for AI-enabled experiences. The survey of 5,811 consumers and 1,560 CX/business leaders (conducted March–April 2026 across more than 20 countries) found that more than half of consumers would rather do anything else than contact customer service and 85% said poor service caused them to spend less or stop doing business with a brand. Most consumers expect AI to improve quality, speed (76%) and personalization (75%), and place equal value on efficiency and empathy. Organizations face operational challenges—aging infrastructure and data/connectivity gaps—that limit CX continuity (95% expect cross-channel memory; 48% of organizations don’t pass info between virtual and human agents). The report highlights broad adoption expectations for "agentic AI," with 82% of CX leaders expecting autonomous AI agents to orchestrate experiences within three years and 40% already using agentic AI.
Report: Consumer AI Use Rises as Trust and Excitement Fall
Prophet's 2026 AI-Powered Consumer Report finds generative AI adoption has risen to 73% (from 45% in 2024), while consumer enthusiasm and belief in AI’s transformative promises are waning. The study reports a 7% decline in excitement about AI and a 30% drop in the share of consumers who think GenAI will handle most decisions. Concerns about accuracy and misinformation are high (71%), and 62% of consumers report frustration when companies remove human support in favor of automation. The findings suggest AI is becoming a utility rather than a novelty and that marketers must balance automation with human interaction as adoption grows but trust softens.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.