Unplugged AI: Why are we not talking to robots?
The artificial intelligence (AI) realm has seen remarkable advancements in recent years. High on this innovation list are AI chatbots – the smart, responsive digital entities that can perform tasks or hold a conversation like a human.
Yet, despite these gains, a new study from Morgan Stanley suggests that AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, are swimming against the current of mainstream adoption.
Chatbots struggling to find their voice
The investigation revealed an alarming reality. Only 19% of survey participants reported using ChatGPT, and a mere 9% used Google Bard. What’s striking is that a vast majority have expressed reluctance in utilizing these AI chatbots within the next six months.
Why the mute button?
This limited user engagement could be due to the nascent stage of chatbot development.
While ChatGPT enjoys a slightly larger user base than Bard, with 4% of respondents relying on it daily compared to only 1% for Bard, these numbers are hardly anything to shout about.
The main objective for chatbot users seems to be acquiring knowledge and learning about specific subjects. Hence, it appears that these AI tools are currently viewed less as personal assistants and more as specialized knowledge repositories.
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Not all doom and gloom
Despite this, there are still bright spots. Chatbots are frequently used to:
- Uncover new products
- Compare prices
- And shop online
Providing a boost to e-commerce and generating revenues for businesses.
Yet most people continue to lean on popular search engines such as Google for tasks tied to money, including online shopping and travel.
The untapped potential: monetizing AI in E-commerce
While the adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard remain unexpectedly low, the potential for monetization via AI in e-commerce is emerging.
Searching for new products, price comparison, and online shopping are common use cases among early adopters. AI-enabled research and recommendations could also churn out advertising revenues.
The way forward: Where do we go from here?
The surprising underutilization of AI-powered chatbots raises questions about the pathway to widespread acceptance.
We are at a crossroads where data privacy concerns, technological literacy, and human-AI interaction dynamics converge. But one thing’s for sure, the potential of AI chatbots is massive. It’s only a matter of when, not if, these digital assistants become our trusted everyday companions.
As the trend shifts towards more sophisticated AI developments, it’s crucial to underline that the future of AI shouldn’t be about replacing human interaction but augmenting it. In other words, we need to ensure that AI works for us and not the other way around.
