AI-powered Customer Experience Offers Amazing Potential Benefits – So . . . What’s the Problem?

Over the past decade, we have seen an explosion in technology advancements.  Think about these buzzwords and you will get a sense of what I mean:

• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Cloud Computing
• Big Data and Analytics
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) 

These are all pretty powerful technology disrupters; however, in my view, I don’t think any of them has, or will, have the potential impact on us as a society that the advent of AI technology will have going forward.  In recent years, you cannot have a technology discussion without mentioning AI . . . it is ubiquitous . . . and why not?  The potential advantages offered by the technology in customer experience and corporate efficiency appear to be endless.

Let’s take a moment to examine a few of the potential advantages offered by AI-powered applications specifically in the arena of customer experience:

1. Personalized Recommendations:  The ability of AI, through machine learning, to identify customer patterns by analyzing the past behaviors and preferences of customers.  AI can then enable businesses to use this data to recommend specific products or services.
2. Customer Service Automation:  The use of high-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to enhance customer self-service.  These applications are designed to handle large volumes of queries without human intervention.  They can be programmed to answer queries, solve simple issues, and provide information any time during the day, while gathering customer data that will prove to be valuable in future interactions with the company.
3. Predictive Customer Service:  Through its ability to analyze significant amounts of data, AI can be used to predict customer events.  I have seen this in action before I went to an unlimited data plan with my cell phone carrier.  Based on my usage patterns, I would get proactive warnings from the carrier about my usage, enabling me to take steps to avoid overruns.
4. Real-Time Personalization:  The ability to modify an experience on a customer channel immediately, based upon the customer’s activities and patterns interacting with that channel.  Rather than providing stagnant content to all, this enables a personalized experience for that specific customer.

These examples are really just the tip of the iceberg of the potential ways that AI can positively impact the customer experience.  As AI continues to evolve, there appears to be no limit to what this technology can do.  And therein may be part of the problem.

What is it about AI that gives us pause . . . that makes us a little uncomfortable?:

Is it that “something knows that much about us?”  Have you read the novel “1984” by George Orwell?  Ever hear the phrase, “Big Brother is Watching?”

Is it that we are afraid that humans will eventually lose control, and that technology will take over?  Ever see the movie, “The Terminator”?

I think all of us have experienced technology, or for that matter, bills that have been passed by well-meaning politicians, that have started out with such a noble goal and, in the wrong hands, have been used for “not-so-noble” purposes.  Could that experience contribute to the inherent mistrust of this technology?  In effect, saying to ourselves, “In and of itself, the technology is great . . . but can we trust the people behind the technology?”

These seem like some relatively big obstacles to overcome given that according to CX Network, in a research report entitled “The Global State of CX”, found in a recent survey that “65% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that customers are concerned about ethical AI use and the future development of AI for CX”.  However, given the promise of this technology, it seems that it is worth trying to overcome this wide-spread skepticism by proactively tackling some of the core issues driving the concern.  How can we do that? 

This blog is not intended to be a deep dive into solving the problem of trust, but let’s look at four critical areas that certainly could help the journey toward resolution:

1. Transparency:  Companies can begin to assure their customers by being open about how AI is being deployed by them.  Of particular importance is to be transparent about what data is being collected about them, how it is being collected, and how it is being analyzed and used to enhance future customer interactions with the company.  Stressing the value of the use of the data is a very critical element of this strategy.
2. Accountability:  To minimize the fear that AI is “running wild” on its own, some firms are issuing ethical guidelines and standards for the use of the technology, stressing that ultimately humans will be responsible for its use.
3. Customer Involvement:  Not just with AI, but in all customer-facing applications, companies should always look to involve their customers in the development of these tools.  There should be tight and effective feedback loops to gather relevant information from customers and, as needed, to modify the applications based on this feedback.  This should always be an integral part of any customer experience interaction.
4. Industry-Wide Ethical Standards:  Given the potential for misuse of this technology, it is important for customers to know that the businesses they interact with are onboard with pushing for standards for the use of AI.

The promise is there . . . now we have to drive towards the proper use of the technology so that the promise can be realized as trust in the technology increases.