Will AI Impede Brand Connections?

A global survey from Interpublic’s Momentum Worldwide found that 70% of consumers worry human connections will be lost as AI continues to grow and are looking for brands to help them connect socially.

The survey of over 3,000 consumers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Spain, and Japan found a wide majority concerned about tech having a negative effect on their physical health (78%) and mental health (83%). Additionally, 70% are not adopting the latest tech as soon as it’s released.

Momentum’s past research found consumers’ priorities around experiences have shifted from social currency in 2014 as Instagram was taking off to a sense of optimism in 2019, but the pandemic, political unrest, climate change, economic instability, and other factors have driven an increasing desire for genuine human interaction.

“Connection is now the priority,” Momentum said in the executive summary of the study. “We’re not looking for brand experiences that are just for bragging or showing off. Consumers want brand experiences that connect them with others. That bring them closer together. That celebrate being human.”

For brands, a “more emotional, inspirational role” is increasingly expected. According to the latest survey:

• 83% of consumers expressed a higher appreciation for brands that promote genuine connections with communities.
• 80% find that brands encouraging consumer connections show they prioritize consumer well-being.
• 75% feel a sense of belonging by connecting with fellow fans of the same brand.
• 51% still favor the authentic interaction of a human customer service representative, even if imperfect, over the near-perfect efficiency of an AI chatbot.

Of the respondents, 46% were open to an AI or augmented-reality companion that offers advice and companionship, but 66% would prefer to remain single than resort to companionship with an AI.

Elena Klau, chief strategy and product officer at Momentum Worldwide, said that AI, VR, and mixed reality tools can enable better connections, but technology won’t replace human interactions. She said, “Currently, people are feeling lonelier, lost and more disconnected than ever. Alain de Botton famously wrote: ‘What we long for and are slowly dying without is: community.’ Brands need to learn the delicate technology balance with consumers as they have a genuine opportunity to bridge the gaps in society — to close the perception of what there is and fulfill the reality of consumer’s needs.”

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center likewise found that one of Americans’ top concerns with AI is the technology’s inherent lack of human connection. Concerns about AI’s impact come as a number of studies have linked extensive time spent on social media to a trend toward worsening mental health, especially among younger adults.

The refrain from those rolling out AI is that the technology has the potential to enhance rather than diminish human connections.

“We continue to use AI and GenAI across the business for improvements such as more relevant creative marketing content, better search outcomes on digital platforms, greater personalization for customers, easier solutions for our associates, and many more areas,” Yael Cosset, chief information officer and SVP at Kroger, said at the recent NRF Big Show. “Like all technology, we view AI as a resource for our customers and associates to improve our human connections, not replace them.”

“There’s a reality in the technicality of being able to trigger better personalization and better insights…but humans have to come in and have a creative touch and ensure that connection continues to happen,” Cheryl Guerin, EVP of global brand strategy and innovation at Mastercard, told Time. “If we lose that, that emotional connection that brands are creating will be gone as well.”