57% of Indian Consumers Prefer AI Tools Over Human Interaction: Adobe Study

A recent study conducted by Adobe reveals that Indian consumers are leading the global trend in embracing AI-driven interactions, with 57% expressing a preference for AI-enabled tools over human interactions. However, the study highlights a lag in Indian brands’ adoption of the latest AI innovations compared to their global counterparts.

While Indian consumers favor AI-driven interactions for various purposes, including decision-making and customer support, they also value the option of human interaction, particularly when exploring new products and services.

Despite the evident consumer preference for AI-enabled experiences, only 15% of Indian brands are currently leveraging generative AI to enhance customer experience initiatives, trailing behind the global average of 18%. Brands in Europe and the US are shown to be more advanced in this regard, with dedicated AI budgets and internal usage policies.

Nevertheless, the study indicates a growing recognition among Indian brands of the importance of customer experience (CX), with 41% prioritizing CX as a business objective. Additionally, 87% of Indian brands are focusing on enhancing CX over other business goals, indicating a shift in strategic priorities.

Looking ahead, 53% of Indian brands plan to improve their generative AI capabilities in the next 12 months, with 76% either already having or planning to pilot generative AI solutions to enhance customer experience delivery.

Anindita Veluri, Director of Marketing at Adobe India, emphasizes the transformative potential of generative AI for consumers and underscores the importance for brands to adopt this technology responsibly to enhance personalized experiences.

The study also reveals that Indian brands excel in customer data management, with 89% having robust data capabilities. However, there is a noted lag in the adoption of technologies supporting personalization, despite consumer and brand agreement on its importance.

Both consumers and brands cite data privacy and security concerns as key barriers to personalization efforts. Consumer reluctance to share data is identified as a top challenge by brands, though they may underestimate the impact of data missteps. A significant portion of Indian consumers (59%) express willingness to reconsider purchasing from brands that lack transparency regarding personal data usage.

Consumer concerns also extend to the responsible and ethical usage of personal data, with a majority expressing worries about decisions being made about their data without consent, brands collecting excessive data, and the inability of brands to develop ethical AI tools.

Finally, the study highlights consumers’ expectations for transparency regarding AI-generated content, with 68% expecting to be informed when content is AI-generated, and 64% expressing a heightened diligence in fact-checking content due to generative AI technologies.