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.
While Gursoy’s research didn’t provide any insight into whether younger people are more receptive to AI in products and services than older people, Kent says her firm’s study did.
Among younger respondents (age 18 to 44), 24% to 27% said they would likely buy a product advertised as including AI, compared with 18% overall. Among respondents age 65 and older, 32% said they would be less likely to buy a product advertised with AI, compared with 24% overall.
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
