Why ignoring consumers’ AI concerns is a costly mistake

Marketers love AI, but consumers … not a lot. That’s the broad takeaway from our review of nine recent reports on AI and marketing. Understanding the specifics of what and why consumers disagree is essential for marketers in the event that they hope to attach with consumers.

The reports have different methodologies, so this will’t be an apples-to-apples comparison. Even so, it is clear that the differences have to be considered when implementing any customer-facing AI. (Links to all of the reports are at the tip of this text.)

Consumers don’t trust AI

One of essentially the most striking disagreements lies within the realm of trust.

Capgemini’s “Unleashing the Value of Customer Service” paints a picture of organizations embracing genAI and agentic AI. Likewise, Ascend2’s “The Evolution of AI in Marketing 2025” found marketers have high levels of trust in AI-driven insights (albeit often with human validation).

Consumers feel otherwise, to place it mildly. The ARF’s “Consumer Trust and Privacy Concerns in 2024” ranks AI technologies among the many least trusted for safeguarding digital privacy. Likewise, in Omnisend’s “AI in Ecommerce: Trust, Privacy, and Consumer Perspectives,” 58% of consumers worry about how AI handles their data, and 39% have abandoned purchases on account of frustrating AI interactions.

To be clear, consumers aren’t entirely against AI interactions. Five9’s “2025 Customer Experience Report” found that 72% of consumers are open to AI-powered interactions in the event that they can escalate to a human. However, trust is still a significant factor: 30% doubt AI accuracy and a negative chatbot experience can result in future avoidance, especially amongst older generations.

Of course, there’s a consumer contradiction here. According to Capgemini, 60% of consumers are willing to pay more for AI-enhanced services.

This difference in trust levels is a critical factor that companies must address to make sure successful AI implementation and maintain customer confidence.

The query of authenticity

Marketers and consumers are also divided about AI’s creative capabilities. SurveyMonkey’s “State of Marketing 2025” found that 46% of consumers dislike firms that use AI to generate content, and 43% are less more likely to purchase from such a company.

B2B is AI positive

Business buyers are more pro-AI than consumers, likely since it makes product research easier and faster for them. SurveyMonkey’s “State of Marketing 2025” found that business buyers are 25% more more likely to strongly agree that AI agents are helpful than consumers. Like business buyers, consumers are more comfortable interacting with AI earlier within the purchasing process, in the course of the exploration phase, in accordance with SurveyMonkey.

Bridging the divide for successful AI integration

These surveys illuminate the disconnect between marketers’ excitement about AI and what customers want, expect and trust. Closing this gap requires transparency, keeping data secure, ensuring quick access to human support when needed, and respecting how and where people prefer to interact.

Reports

Capgemini: Customer service transformation (No registration required)
ARF: seventh Annual (2024) Privacy Study (Membership required)
Omnisend: AI in ecommerce (No registration required)
Five9: 2025 Customer Experience Report (Registration required)
SurveyMonkey: State of Marketing 2025 (No registration required)
Ascend2 Ascend2’s “The Evolution of AI in Marketing 2025” (No registration required)
NinjaCat AI and the Agency of the Future: Redefining Roles, Relationships, and Results (Registration required)