Younger managers are less enthusiastic about use of AI in customer engagement than older peers, survey finds

Over half of total respondents expressed some concerns in the use of AI

NY, UNITED STATES, December 17, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- There are significant generational divides in attitudes towards emerging customer engagement technologies, according to a new survey from global digital transformation firm Apply Digital. Only 56% of managers aged 18-24 rate AI as “very important” for customer engagement strategies, compared to 72% of those aged 35-44 or 55+.

The Future of Customer Engagement research surveyed 500 senior decision-makers within large North American enterprises to understand how they view the value and adoption of new technologies in their CX strategies.

Scott Michaels, Chief Product Officer at Apply Digital, comments: “The research findings pose interesting questions about how younger people — typically the keenest adopters of new tech — perceive AI, and this should give us pause for thought.

“It may be the case that younger people view AI as being just another tool. Equally, the hesitancy we’re seeing among the next generation of managers about its role in customer experience highlights the risk of AI for AI’s sake. Unless it delivers tangible and quantifiable value, it could take longer to establish trust in AI as a truly transformative technology.”

However, all demographics expressed some concerns over the use of AI. More than half (57%) of total respondents flagged data privacy and security as being the most significant risks.

Despite the reservations amongst younger managers, the majority of respondents (93%) consider AI as being “important” or “very important” to customer engagement strategies. The current applications for AI lie in enhancing services and personalization, most typically for data analysis (used by 73% of businesses) and customer-facing chatbots (68%).

Michaels concludes: “There will be numerous reasons for generational differences in attitudes towards AI, what matters most is that businesses take the time to understand - and address - any employee concerns. Some may be well-founded and could help in building robust, future-facing AI strategies.

“Ultimately, AI and other new technologies hold vast promise for operational efficiency and customer engagement, but we do need to be realistic - they are not silver bullet solutions. Unlocking their long-term value requires strong data management and cross-functional collaboration built on a culture of continuous learning and employee engagement.”

For more information, the full whitepaper, The Future of Customer Engagement: Achieving ROI with Loyalty, Personalization and AI, is available to download for free at https://www.applydigital.com/en-150/insights/learn/the-future-of-customer-engagement-achieving-roi-with-loyalty-personalization-and-ai/ .

Andy Riley
Velvet PR
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