Pegasystems Inc., in collaboration with YouGov, has released new research highlighting a significant gap between consumer expectations and current AI-powered customer service experiences. The study, surveying over 4,700 adults in the United States and United Kingdom, shows that while AI holds transformative potential, businesses have yet to deploy it in ways that inspire trust and deliver consistent results.
Consumers express frustration with inaccurate and unpredictable AI interactions, attributing issues not to the technology itself but to how organizations implement it. This has led to low confidence levels and a strong preference for human-led support in many scenarios.
The research identifies several core reasons behind the lack of confidence:
AI reliability remains a major concern. Nearly half (46%) of respondents indicate successful outcomes are rare or nonexistent in AI-driven customer service, leading 48% to distrust businesses handling interactions entirely through AI.
Human interaction continues to outperform AI in delivering results. A significant majority (77%) report better outcomes when dealing exclusively with humans, and two-thirds (66%) favor human-led support over AI alternatives.
Consumers show limited active engagement with GenAI. While 48% never deliberately choose to use it for everyday tasks, and only 9% select it daily, a notable 24% suspect they encounter AI unknowingly on a daily basis. This suggests consumers are open to seamless, background AI when it performs reliably without friction.
The findings underscore the need for businesses to evolve beyond basic chatbots toward more capable, predictable AI agents that reliably complete tasks on behalf of customers.
“AI can be transformational for customer service – but it has to live up to customer expectations,” said Simon Thorpe, director, Pega. “There’s a simple reason why we’re seeing a lack of consumer trust in the use of AI. There are just too many first-hand examples of businesses deploying these tools in ways that lead to dead ends and frustration. Businesses must build back consumer trust by moving past simple chatbots and deploying predictable AI agents that consistently get work done on behalf of customers. If businesses can use AI to make customer service faster and easier, they can drive massive new efficiencies while retaining customer trust.”
By addressing these pain points—enhancing reliability, blending AI with human oversight where needed, and ensuring seamless integration—organizations can rebuild trust, improve outcomes, and realize greater operational efficiency in customer service.
About Pegasystems
Pega provides the leading AI-powered platform for enterprise transformation. The world’s most influential organizations trust our technology to reimagine how work gets done by automating workflows, personalizing customer experiences, and modernizing legacy systems. Since 1983, our scalable, flexible architecture has fueled continuous innovation, helping clients accelerate their path to the autonomous enterprise.
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