It’s not hard to guess younger people tend to adopt the latest technologies faster, and more seamlessly compared to their older counterparts. We’re not too many years removed from the launches of iPhone, and iPad devices that introduced a touchscreen interface to the masses. This new mode of interaction (swiping, pinching, and tapping) was natural to children, while adults were looking for the instruction manual. Fast forward over a decade later and a similar phenomenon is taking shape with the adoption of AI for self service.
Let's look at the numbers
As expected, younger users tend to prefer bots more compared to older users. That said, older users see the benefit of a capable, always available assistant ready to help
- 40% of millennials engage with bots on a daily basis
- 67% of US millennial internet users would purchase a product/service from brands using a chatbot
- 66% of millennials versus 58% of Baby Boomers consider 24-hour service as the top benefit of using chatbots.
- 70% of millennials reporting positive chatbot experiences
- 60% of consumers aged 35-44 in US report that companies are too quick to replace human representatives with chatbots
So what does this mean, and how does it affect me?
Good question, there are a few trends we can assume.
- Usage of chatbots and other AI-powered technologies will increase.
- The ability of automated assistants are at, or near the quality of an entry level customer success representative.