October 07, 2025
Qualtrics’ UK Consumer Research Highlights Low Trust in AI
Arriving on CX Day, new research from Qualtrics reveals that AI-powered customer service is falling short for UK consumers, costing brands loyalty and sales.
The 24-page Consumer Experience Trends Report shows that only 5% of UK consumers say they would prefer to use an automated assistant, such as a chatbot. While 80% say they haven’t used AI for customer service help or support recently, it’s clear there is scepticism around using AI across their customer experience.
The gap between expectation and reality matters. When asked why they choose one brand over another, almost half (46%) of UK customers point to convenience, choosing to buy from brands because they make life easier, with good products and services close behind at 44%. However, communication breakdowns remain a major source of dissatisfaction, driving 42% of poor experiences in the UK.
The research comes just as Qualtrics invests $6.75 billion to acquire Press Ganey Forsta, the experience measurement and data analytics provider to acclerate AI adoption.
The Trust Gap To AI
AI service tools are not yet closing that gap. A third of UK customers (33%) say they don’t trust the information provided by AI, while globally just 35% report that AI customer support actually solves their problem. At the same time, more than half (58%) worry they won’t be able to reach a human when companies use AI, compounding frustration when communication fails.
The report notes that, ““Nearly 1 in 5 consumers who have used AI for customer service saw no benefits from the experience. A failure rate nearly 4x higher than for AI use on average.”
That frustration is colliding with feedback fatigue which is leaving businesses without the insights they need to understand churn and continue building brand loyalty. A third (31%) of UK consumers say nothing directly to the company after a bad experience. With nearly half (44%) of bad experiences leading to cut spending, brands are losing loyalty and revenue without being able to understand why.
Qualtrics Shows Consumers Can Spot Poor AI
Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at Qualtrics XM Institute, said, “Consumers can tell the difference between brands that use AI to genuinely improve service and those that deploy it purely to cut costs. In the UK, where consumers remain cautious about spending, brands cannot afford to deliver poor and impersonal experiences.
The findings show that UK consumers expect seamless, convenient customer experiences, clear communication from brands, and assurance that their data is handled responsibly.”
Trust is at stake for brands. Developing trust with customers is vital to delivering a reputable CX that builds brand loyalty, but consumer concerns around AI are undermining efforts to nurture trusting relationships.
While 63% of UK consumers prefer to buy from brands that provide personalised experiences, a third of UK consumers (36%) are uncomfortable with their information being used for personalisation, and only 40% trust companies to use their data responsibly. Just 39% believe the benefits received from sharing data with brands is worth the privacy trade off.
Security Fears and Data Trust Issues
UK consumers are among the most worried globally about hackers stealing their information. Some 28% say this is their biggest fear when companies collect their personal information, compared with 23% of global consumers.
Recent high-profile breaches in the UK have sharpened those fears and left many questioning whether sharing data is worth the risk. But the research points to a way forward as nearly half of UK consumers (44%) say they would share more data if companies were transparent about what’s being collected, while 47% want greater control over how it’s used.
Trust can be rebuilt if brands put transparency and control at the heart of their AI strategies.
Zdatny adds, “Competing on discounts or cutting costs with AI is short-lived. UK consumers reward companies that use technology responsibly, keep their data safe, and make it easy to get problems solved. Brand leaders should focus on convenience, clarity, and trust – the foundations of long-term loyalty. The brands that thrive will be those that use AI to enhance human connections, not replace them.”
With AI appearing in every CX and CXM software platform, businesses will have to manage the line between consumer overload and retaining trust. Plenty of positive AI-empowered examples are on show at the UKCXA awards, in the Best Use of Technology/AI category, with Bookwhen, Vodafone/Accenture, Barchester and Viasat/Cognni up for the Gold Award.
