Consumers International publishes new research on consumer experiences of Artificial Intelligence

03 May 2019

Consumers International has released a new study on consumer experiences of artificial intelligence (AI) and the ways in which AI enabled services shape their consumer journeys and experiences, and consumer outcomes.

The report ‘Artificial Intelligence: consumer experiences in new technology’ contains a summary of new findings about the consumer experience of AI from IPSOS Global’s participatory research with families and individuals in India, Australia and Japan, and insights from interviews with expert stakeholders from the region.

It also incorporates the results of the multi-stakeholder roundtable held in Singapore in March 2019, where consumer organisations, businesses, academics and regulators discussed how AI enabled technology can deliver the best possible outcomes for consumers, whilst recognising and mitigating against potential challenges and risks.

Artificial Intelligence: consumer experiences in new technology Download research

Challenges, solutions and priorities

The report includes six broad priority areas where participants agreed progress is needed:

  • Opening the black box
  • Enabling agency and control
  • Regulatory approaches
  • Defining AI
  • Creating new structures
  • Building AI literacy

The research showed an appetite to work together across sectors to address the challenges and opportunities identified in the six areas. Consumers International is currently building a Change Network to bring together the consumer movement with leaders from government, business, and academia to address the most pressing issues for consumers in the digital economy and society, including AI. If you would like to be part of this continuing work in AI, please get in touch.

Views from research participants

  • “AI works in one society, may not apply directly to another society. I would not trust AI that is developed in one country for another country. You have to retrain with local data. This is what is unique about AI – it requires specific, local knowledge and data in specific domains.” Non-profit AI innovation centre, India
  • “At times your mind has to fight the AI. It’s all about your decision-making power and the experience you have.” Consumer, Japan
  • “I think the core question is the extent to which consumers actually have agency – can they act on the information they are provided with?” Consumer organisation, Australia