- 19% said chatbots were the most disruptive application of AI when shopping
- 20% said interactions with AI-powered chatbots were where they would be most likely to abandon a purchase
- 66% don’t mind retailers using AI to automate repetitive tasks, but don’t want it to replace human interaction
- 71% of shoppers feel blended experiences of AI and human interaction would always be needed in retail
Chicago, IL – February 29, 2024 – AI-powered chatbots were deemed by U.S. shoppers as the most disruptive artificial intelligence (AI) applications causing friction in their online shopping experiences, the latest research from Intellias, the software engineering and digital consultancy company.
Original research of over 1,000 U.S. shoppers by Intellias showed that AI chatbots are the most likely cause of friction when buying online, with 19% agreeing chatbots are the area where AI most disrupts their shopping experiences.
And while 44% said AI helped retailers and brand create more personalised shopping experiences, a further 20% said that interactions with AI chatbots were the most likely stage in their online buying journeys where they were most likely to abandon a purchase. This follows separate research by Talkdesk, that found 68% of U.S. shoppers would lose trust in a brand if it gave them poor recommendations served to them by AI chatbots, and 53% said poor AI chatbot experiences would stop them from shopping with the retailer again.
However, almost half (46%) of the shoppers polled by Intellias said they didn’t mind retailers using AI in their buying journeys as long as it wasn’t clunky. In comparison, two thirds (66%) aren’t adverse to retailers using AI to automate repetitive or monotonous tasks, but they don’t want it to replace human interaction.
Going further, over seven in ten (71%) agreed that a blended experience of both automation delivered through AI and human interaction would always be needed in retail, regardless of how good the AI technology becomes in the future.
There’s little doubt that AI – and in particular Gen AI – have had its watershed moment, as the intersection between rapid consumer and business adoption really came to the fore last year. While there’s no denying the hype curve, AI mustn’t become a go-to catchall for plugging gaps in shopping experiences.
Each application of the technology needs to be considered in the context of the entire value chain and only deployed where it can deliver value in a friction-free manner. And that requires both orchestrating the tech stack in the right way to extract value, as well as looking at the application of AI in the shopper journey as a whole – only then will it deliver both the business benefits to the retailer while enhancing experiences for consumers.
To find out more about Intellias’ latest ‘GenAI in Retail’ report, which outlines a best-practice blueprint for retailers looking to strategise, pilot and launch successful GenAI programmes, download the report here: GenAI in Retail.
Research methodology
Original research of over 1,000 US shoppers, conducted by Savanta on behalf of Intellias via online polling in December 2023
