They also want AI to be more human-like, according to a May 2018 Capgemini survey of internet users worldwide. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents expressed this sentiment, though slightly more (66%) wanted to be made aware that they were having AI-enabled interactions. It appears consumers want AI to be human enough to provide genuine help without treading into "uncanny valley" territory. 

Levels of comfort with AI correlated to those who are “AI-aware”: the 73% of internet users who said they were aware that they had interacted with a chatbot or virtual assistant via a smartphone or speaker. When asked about a hypothetical scenario about car shopping using a virtual assistant to provide financing options based on criteria like credit history and income, 51% of AI-aware consumers would be fine with this, compared with 44% overall.

Not surprisingly, consumers had higher preference for human interaction over an AI interaction when making a high-consideration purchase. Nearly half would want to interact only with a human when buying something expensive like a home or an item with emotional significance like a wedding ring, while fewer (30%) had this preference when purchasing something more mundane like toothpaste. A mix of human and AI help was preferred for both purchase types, with a majority (54%) liking this hybrid for low-consideration items.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: retail.emarketer.com