AI Crosses the Trust Threshold: Half of all Consumers Embrace it for Critical Life Advice

- New Smart Communications report finds AI gaining traction with healthcare, financial services and insurance customers - Fragmented omnichannel experiences and outdated technology holding brands back as two-thirds of consumers say they'll drop businesses with poor customer communications

Smart Communications, a leading technology company focused on helping businesses engage in more meaningful customer conversations, released its 2025 Customer Experience Benchmark research today. The global survey of 3000 consumers found that while many are ready for artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their experiences in healthcare, financial services and insurance, they remain frustrated with poor omnichannel experiences and outdated form processes.

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Smart Communications' 2025 Global Benchmark Report found that half of all consumers would value AI for financial advice, insurance plan recommendations or health recommendations.

“Customers’ expectations are set by the best brands in retail, technology and eCommerce,” said Leigh Segall, CEO, Smart Communications. “When healthcare, banking and insurance organizations fail to meet these expectations, they risk losing customer loyalty and business. That’s why we set out every year to gauge where that bar is set, and light the way for organizations in these industries to exceed their customers’ expectations through frictionless, digital-first experiences.”

The customer communications scorecard: Solid improvement, but risks remain

Since 2018, Smart Communications’ Customer Experience Benchmark research has tracked consumer attitudes and preferences towards customer communications from healthcare, financial services and insurance organizations. In 2025, most consumers (62%) rated communications from these organizations as good or excellent, with significant improvements in each sector: satisfaction rates improved by 67% in banking, 46% in insurance, and 75% in healthcare.

The survey also highlights the importance of customer communications in ensuring loyalty, driving referral business, and reducing customer churn. Nearly all respondents (84%) say customer communications are important in their overall experience, and two-thirds (67%) would switch away from a company if communications didn’t meet their expectations.

AI: Hesitation cut in half as consumers see value in real-world use cases

This year’s report highlights a warming of consumers’ overall attitudes towards AI, particularly when it comes to specific use cases. Half of all respondents would value AI being used to offer financial advice (46%), suggest insurance plan changes (51%), or make health recommendations (54%).

Consumer confidence in AI is strong, with less than a third of all respondents expressing hesitation over AI handling data securely (32%) or ethically (31%). People are also less likely to demand disclaimers of AI’s use in customer communications; only 37% say its use should be called out compared to 77% in 2024.

However, increased comfort and trust do not mean increased confidence in quality. Only 13% believe that generative AI is better than humans at creating customer communications content, and nearly half (46%) say humans should always check content suggested by generative AI.

Poor omnichannel experiences are letting brands down

While consumers’ improved attitudes towards AI offer encouragement, their feelings on omnichannel experiences should serve as a warning to organizations. Only half (54%) of consumers reported satisfaction with the quality of these experiences, while 60% said they would trust companies more if they offered a consistent omnichannel experience.

The complexity of omnichannel communications was also reflected in the survey. Despite being the oldest age group surveyed, Silent Generation consumers (respondents between 79 and 97) were the most likely to prefer email communications (48%). Conversely, the youngest respondents – Generation Z – were the least likely to prefer email (39%). Bottom of the list for all generations was print, with just 12% of all respondents listing it as their preferred method of communication.

Bad forms are driving younger consumers away

Data intake remains a silent killer for customer experience. Two-thirds of all consumers (66%), including 73% of Millennials and 71% of Generation Zers, said they would end their interaction with a company if the data intake process were too difficult. To fix this problem, organizations should focus on speed and simplicity, which was ranked by 90% of all consumers as their priority when completing a form.

Companies have an opportunity to transform the data intake process based on consumer preferences with guided, digital forms. Nearly two-thirds of all respondents (63%) said they would prefer this process to a fillable PDF document, and 77% say it’s important that companies offer some sort of digital data collection instead of manual processes that involve printing, scanning or mailing.

“The data is clear: consumers are ready to see what AI can do,” said Leigh Segall. “Organizations have an opportunity to use this groundbreaking technology to create outstanding customer experiences that exceed consumer expectations. Our research shows them where to start, by orchestrating smarter omnichannel experiences.”

Additional findings are available through the company’s new interactive web experience, which includes downloadable charts, detailed industry, regional, and demographic analyses, and industry-specific versions of the 2025 Customer Experience Benchmark reports.

About Smart Communications

Smart Communications is the trusted choice for regulated enterprises looking to modernize complex processes and connect with customers in the moments that matter most. Its Conversation Cloud™ platform powers frictionless, compliant, digital-first experiences through omnichannel communications, intelligent data capture, and secure digital archival. More than 650 enterprises worldwide—including Zurich Insurance, Priority Health, The Pacific Financial Group, and The Bancorp—rely on Smart Communications to reduce compliance risk, boost operational efficiency, lower costs, and fast-track digital transformation that fuels business growth and elevates the customer experience. With more than 30 pre-built connectors, Smart Communications’ cloud-native platform integrates effortlessly with the world’s most trusted enterprise systems including Salesforce, Guidewire, DuckCreek, OneSpan, and Pega, enabling more than 60 billion mission-critical customer conversations globally, and driving faster time to value.

Research methodology

Smart Communications commissioned Toluna to conduct consumer research online in the US, UK, APAC (Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore) and German-speaking markets (Austria, Switzerland, Germany). Across all markets, a nationally representative audience (on age and gender) was targeted. To qualify, all respondents must be a current customer of providers of insurance, the wider financial services sector, or healthcare. Fieldwork took place from January 31 to February 24, 2025.

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