53% of consumers worry AI-enabled support poses privacy risks
Only 39 per cent of consumers believe brands use their information responsibly, which could have an impact on whether they embrace AI-enabled service and support, based on research produced by Qualtrics.
The software vendor surveyed more than 20,000 consumers across 14 countries to produce its 2026 Consumer Experience Trends report.
Qualtrics found a critical link between data management and consumers’ willingness to engage. For example, 86 per cent of customers said they are willing to share more personal data if organizations are more transparent and clear about its usage.
At the moment, however, data usage policies alone may not be enough to ensure a strong AI-enabled support experience. The report’s authors described the technology as “failing” so far, with enthusiasm for AI-driven support as 13 percentage points lower than for other tasks.
Half of those surveyed said they miss the human touch that AI chatbots and other applications of the technology tend to replace.
Perhaps most concerning, those who see no benefit from AI or have a bad service experience may not even let brands know. Overall, 29 per cent of consumers said they are less likely to share feedback directly.
Qualtrics suggested that building greater trust begins by making it easier for consumers to see how their data is being used.
“Have your Head of CX record a short video and post it where your customers actually are, like Instagram or in your app,” the company said in a statement accompanying the findings. “In it, they can say, ‘You told us in your feedback that X was frustrating. We listened. We made change Y, and it’s already resulted in Z benefit for you.'”
360 Magazine Insight
You have to wonder whether Qualtrics would be sounding the alarm on AI-enabled support if it was still owned by SAP, which has invested and developed agentic tools precisely to enhance service experiences.
Still, this research is helpful in that it offers a sort of snapshot on consumer comfort levels as they stand today. For those who see AI as an omramp to improved personalization, for instance, it’s worth noting that Qualtrics found 30 per cent of consumers are most acceptance of brands fueling personalization via “learning habits,” such as remembering website behavior. However 32 per cent were uncomfortable with any personalization behavior.
The report also served up a good reminder about a common sense (but often ignored) best practice.: 45 per cent expect to have the ability to control and/or delete their collected data themselves. If it takes following up with the company to randomly inquire about getting taken off an e-mail list or jettisoning their account, the trust level (and therefore the loyalty level) is probably going to be pretty low.
Qualtrics has gated this report but there’s a lot of data provided in the main post that gives an overview of the top four trends, which could help those take a measured, considered approach to using AI and personalizing service experiences.
