Over Half of Consumers are Willing to Give AI Chatbots a Try—Where Should CX Pros Begin?

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Nearly 60% of banking, insurance, and telco customers report they are willing to use an AI chatbot in at least one customer episode, according to data from NPS Prism. This number jumps to 67% if the customer is already a Promoter of your brand, underscoring how customer advocacy sets the foundation for greater trust and openness across customer interactions.

Across segments and industries, brand promoters were more likely to report being willing to adopt AI chatbots, pointing to the importance of strong CX when deploying new AI initiatives. While customers under the age of 45 demonstrated the most willingness, over half of customers aged 45+ also indicated they would give an AI chatbot a try in at least one journey.

Regional and industry differences: does digital mix play a role?

Willingness to use AI chatbots in at least one episode was highest in Latin America, with a 20+ percentage point lead over EMEA and North America. Of the regions studied, Latin American customers also reported highest usage of existing digital channels like websites and mobile apps, indicating an overall digital enthusiasm that may translate to chatbot openness. For North America and EMEA, however, there was little difference in willingness to try chatbot, despite different existing digital penetration (50% in North America, 44% in EMEA).

Similarly, willingness to try chatbot was relatively stable across key sectors, with only a 6 percentage point spread between the leading (insurance) and lagging (telco) industries, despite variations in existing digital mix. These numbers underscore the importance of brand sentiment in driving chatbot willingness—insurance and banking rank similarly in rNPS and both have higher willingness than telco.

Gen Z and Millennial consumers show higher openness to giving chatbot a try

More clear differences in willingness emerge between older and younger demographic groups, with 73% of adults 18-44 reporting they are willing to use AI chatbots in at least one episode, compared to 50% of adults over 45.

With willingness to adopt already high, organizations may want to pilot their rollout of AI chatbots to younger audiences as focused initiatives, while offering additional support and easily accessible alternatives to older audiences.

Choosing the right chatbot experiences in which to invest is critical

In general, customers are most willing to use chatbots for more routine, low-complexity interactions, making them an ideal entry point for companies.

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