One third of consumers would prefer working with AI agents for faster service

Companies will invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) agents as the world of work changes forever. Gartner suggests agentic AI is the most important strategic technology for 2025 and beyond. The tech analyst predicts that, by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be taken autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024. 

Also: Gartner’s 2025 tech trends show how your business needs to adapt – and fast

The goal-driven capabilities of agentic AI will deliver more adaptable software systems that can complete many tasks. However, tech company Salesforce’s State of the AI Connected Customer survey of 15,015 people across 18 countries suggests challenges ahead. Consumer trust in companies is at a record low and AI is raising the stakes for brands. 

Embracing AI agents

The Salesforce research presents some key trends. Here are the standout stats from the survey:

Trust is low, but the stakes are high

• 72% of consumers trust companies less than they did a year ago
• 60% of consumers believe that advances in AI make trust even more important
• 54% of AI users don’t trust the data used to train it
• 80% of customers say experiences are just as important as products
• 65% of consumers feel companies are reckless with customer data

Consumers expect great experiences

• 69% of consumers expect consistent interactions across departments
• More than a third of consumers say that inconveniences, such as a difficult return process or clunky purchase experiences, will cause brands to lose their loyalty
• Consumers say the longest time they’ve spent trying to resolve a single issue with customer service is nine hours
• Consumers have walked away from almost a third of customer service interactions without getting what they needed over the last six months
• More than half (54%) of consumers don’t care how they interact with a company, as long as their problems are fixed fast
• One-third of consumers would rather purchase a product automated/digitally vs. with a person
• 34% of consumers would work with an AI agent instead of a person to avoid repeating themselves
• 73% of consumers want to know if they communicate with an AI agent

Also: 4 ways generative AI can stimulate the economy

Trust is a big issue

• 30% of consumers would work with an AI agent for faster service
• Less than a third of Gen Z and millennials are comfortable with AI agents shopping for them

Also: 4 ways to turn generative AI experiments into real business value

Transparency is the key to success

• 45% of consumers are more likely to use an AI agent if there’s a clear escalation path
• 44% of consumers are more likely to use an AI agent if its logic is clearly explained
• One in five workers are “underground” AI users who use AI often but hesitate to share with coworkers that they do so

Also: Gen AI as a software quality tool? Skepticism is fading as more organizations implement it

The State of AI Connected Customer research shows that customers are willing to use AI agents if they know they are interacting with agents and if there is a clear escalation path to human employees. 

Also: Agentic AI is the top strategic technology trend for 2025

Trust is the key enabler of AI agent adoption in business. Welcome to the age of agentic AI, where companies that thrive will focus on trust, speed, scale, and personalization.