4 in 5 Consumers Believe Generative AI Is the Future - But They Expect Brands to Use It Responsibly

Jack and Megan> In 2018, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, said, “AI is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on. I think of it as something more profound than electricity or fire.” Five years later, it feels like we are finally understanding what Pichai was talking about. Over the past several months, generative AI has exploded into our collective consciousness, with capabilities far more advanced than anticipated. The revelation has sparked a rush of companies – from Google to Expedia – rolling out generative AI-enhanced features and tools.

As tech companies, marketers, and advertisers push head-on into the future, understanding how consumers feel about generative AI is critically important for adoption and success. According to our survey, 87% of consumers have at least heard of AI, indicating that it is already well-known and that consumers recognise the gravity of such innovation. Indeed, consumers see generative AI as potentially transforming various aspects of society, including employment, social relationships, and creativity. 

Jack and Megan> Realising a future where generative AI is successfully, and positively integrated into products and services, the way we do business, and how we conduct our daily lives requires an understanding of where we are today. With this research, we aim to uncover consumers’ current attitudes and perceptions towards generative AI, including their understanding of what it is, how it will impact their lives, and what they perceive to be the most exciting and concerning aspects of widespread adoption. 

Consumers are most excited by applications of generative AI that feel tangible - things like automating repetitive tasks (33%). At that same time, sweeping advancements are also exciting, including helping researchers discover new innovations (36%). Consumers are most concerned that AI will change what it means to be human. What AI means for our jobs (45%), social bonds (39%), personal privacy (36%), and the integrity of creative outputs (35%) are all top sources of concern. They also feel there may be negative effects we can’t foresee today (37%).

The report also looks at how consumers want brands to use generative AI. Our survey finds that 61% of consumers support brands using generative AI to design products and services and 42% say they prefer brands that use AI to design products and services over ones that do not.

Jack and Megan> One of the most surprising findings is that close to four in five consumers believe that generative AI is the future, but less than two in five are excited about that future. This indicates that while consumers see the potential benefits of AI, they also have concerns and reservations about its impact on their lives.

Marketers should focus on tangible applications of AI that enhance consumers' lives and provide education to address concerns about the impact of AI on society.

Jack and Megan> The most important lesson for brands is to use AI responsibly and transparently. According to our survey, 77% of consumers agree that brands should ensure that existing biases and systems of inequality are not propagated by the AI-based applications they leverage. Additionally, over 70% of consumers believe brands should disclose when they use AI to develop products, services, experiences, and content. This suggests that consumers want brands to use AI in a way that is ethical, fair, and beneficial to society. Brands that prioritise responsible and transparent use of AI will be leaders in earning consumer trust and loyalty.

In the spirit of transparency, we used ChatGPT (and a lot of human editing) to write these answers!

---

Please check out and download the full report here.