A separate new study from market-research firm Parks Associates that used different methods and included a much larger sample size came to similar conclusions about consumers’ reaction to AI in products.

“We straight up asked consumers, ‘If you saw a product that you liked that was advertised as including AI, would that make you more or less likely to buy it?’ ” says Jennifer Kent, the firm’s vice president of research.

Of the roughly 4,000 Americans in the survey, 18% said AI would make them more likely to buy, 24% said less likely and to 58% it made no difference, according to the study. “Before this wave of generative AI attention over the past couple of years, AI-enabled features actually have tested very, very well,” Kent says.

In any case, companies have to do a better job of making the argument for AI in their products, both Gursoy and Kent say. “While AI-enabled appliances are appealing in theory,” says Gursoy, “the specific advantages of AI must be obvious and worthwhile to justify the investment.”

From the article, "Here’s a Tip to Companies: Beware of Promoting AI in Products" by Sean Captain