The latest Consumer Voice Report 2025 from ServiceNow paints a clear picture of changing consumer expectations in the UK when it comes to AI in customer service. The report reveals that British consumers no longer view AI as impressive simply for completing tasks. People now expect AI to engage on a more human level—capable of understanding not just requests, but the emotional context behind them.
“Business leaders across EMEA risk being left behind if they fail to embrace the collaboration between AI and human expertise. Consumers are no longer satisfied with disconnected, inefficient service. They expect AI to streamline interactions, anticipate their needs, and complement human agents, not replace them. The companies that successfully integrate AI with human-driven customer service will not only improve efficiency but also build stronger, more trusted customer relationships,” said Cathy Mauzaize, President, EMEA at ServiceNow.
The UK leads the region in its ability to detect when an interaction is AI-powered, with 69% of consumers saying that AI chatbots, while efficient, often come across as emotionless.
Only 16% of respondents say these traits are typical of human service, making the need for emotionally aware AI systems more critical than ever. Consumers are pushing for systems that don’t just “solve” but “understand”—driving demand for more advanced technologies such as agentic AI that offer seamless, empathetic, and adaptive experiences.
Closing the AI-human gap
Despite some worries, there is a belief that AI will eventually close the gap between human and machine interactions. Across EMEA, 71% of consumers believe AI will gain the ability to understand emotions. However, the UK remains notably more sceptical, with only 55% sharing that optimism. Age plays a major role in these attitudes. While 27% of younger consumers (ages 18–34) in the UK think AI will never emotionally understand humans, this number jumps dramatically to 62% among those aged 55 and over.
This scepticism plays out in how consumers choose to interact with customer service. Even though human-led support often causes frustration, such as long wait times (59%) and having to repeat information (46%), more than a quarter of UK consumers still prefer speaking with a real person on the phone over other channels.
Interestingly, the only time people show a preference for email over voice is when they’re feeling tired. This creates a customer paradox: while AI aims to bring efficiency and speed, consumers still tend to fall back on human interaction for complex or sensitive conversations, suggesting a disconnect between what people want and what they trust.
Trust depends on the task
Trust in AI also depends on the task at hand. In the UK, consumers mainly use AI for routine, low-stakes tasks such as scheduling a car service (13%) or tracking a delivery (15%). However, when it comes to emotionally sensitive or high-risk scenarios, trust significantly declines. For instance, only 3% of UK consumers would feel comfortable allowing AI to close a deceased loved one’s bank account, and just 4% would trust AI to handle a disputed financial transaction.
A growing number of consumers who don’t currently trust AI to handle sensitive tasks say they would reconsider within the next three years. Notably, 24% of UK respondents who wouldn’t currently trust AI to dispute a suspicious transaction believe they will be open to it shortly—a 20-point increase. Among younger adults (18–34), 41% see themselves trusting AI for tasks such as closing a bank account after a loved one’s death, compared to just 13% of those aged 55 and over.
For businesses, the message is clear: simply implementing AI isn’t enough. Nearly 70% of UK consumers say AI chatbots have failed to meet their expectations over the past five years, and two-thirds believe these systems struggle with learning from interactions or adjusting based on context.