53% of Consumers Say They’re Wary of GenAI

As generative artificial intelligence begins to make its way into more parts of consumers’ daily lives, many are skeptical of the technology.

By the Numbers

The PYMNTS Intelligence study “Generation Zillennial: Voice Assistants and GenAI” drew from a survey of more than 2,700 United States consumers in June, seeking to understand generational trends in preferences and behaviors surrounding AI-based capabilities.

The findings revealed that most consumers have their doubts. Fifty-three percent of consumers somewhat or strongly agreed that generative AI is very open to misuse. This is not simply a case of older consumers being hesitant about change. The youngest consumers were disproportionately likely to hold these concerns. Fifty-seven percent of Generation Z individuals surveyed professed their belief that the technology is very open to misuse. This share was higher than the 49% of millennials who said the same.

The Data in Context

Yet on the business side, the technology is being used in more areas.

“AI can make websites smarter and more intuitive,” Caroline Petersen, the founder of Gallery Design Studio, a creative agency for B2B tech brands, told PYMNTS earlier this year. “Imagine a website that knows what your visitor wants to see before they do, thanks to AI-driven personalization. Plus, AI chatbots can handle basic customer service questions on the fly, making your website not just a brochure, but a helpful assistant.”

The “How Simple, Routine GenAI Use Can Remake Enterprise Marketing” edition of the PYMNTS Intelligence 2024 CAIO Report surveyed 60 chief marketing officers from U.S. firms that generated at least $1 billion in revenue last year. The results revealed that 80% believe that generative AI is very or extremely important when it comes to the customer experience, and 75% said the same about market research and insights.

While 53% of consumers may be skeptical, that still leaves nearly half who are not worried about the technology.

“These [AI] tools are not sentient,” Beth Simone Noveck, director of the Burnes Center for Social Change and professor of experiential AI at Northeastern University, told PYMNTS earlier this year. “They are not human. This is data-crunching software. … The power of these tools to analyze data, words and images is not a reason to distract our attention, resources and focus from addressing how to use these tools right now to address very urgent problems like inequality, climate change, racial justice and more.”

For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.