The awareness of technologies like AI and their capabilities in today’s society is increasing among consumers, but many millennials are ready to take it a shocking step further.
A considerable 57 per cent of consumers now believe that machines can be more efficient and effective than humans when it comes to many tasks, and 43 per cent actually say it is sometimes easier to interact with machines than people.
While consumers in general appear to be getting used to and even preferring the presence of technology in some cases, 1 in 3 millennials would prefer to have robot politicians, according to a Mindshare survey.
Helen McRae, CEO, Mindshare, said: “Our Trends offer something different– they are built upon a unique and extensive consumer research programme which places people firmly at the heart of each trend. Given the polarisation of opinions we’re seeing within the UK, this year we’ve placed greater emphasis on exploring how our trends differ in terms of adoption and relevancy across the whole country and many different walks of life.”
The report also found a substantial 54 per cent of people open minded to automated services, stating that they would choose the most convenient option.
Consumers are being open-minded about advances in technology, but they are concerned about brands accessing their data. A massive 80 per cent said that more control over what brands do with their data was desirable.
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“We’ve investigated everything from AI and data to AR and visual recognition, and by and large we can see that whatever else they might disagree on, people are open to embracing many of these new technological advancements, especially if it enhances their lives in some way. With 43% of consumers preferring to deal with a machine rather than a real person, brands have a real opportunity to capitalize on this trend if they are willing to adapt their strategies to instil confidence whilst still allowing humans to retain control.”
