The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) relies heavily on the need for higher levels of intelligence to better predict, suggest and adapt to changing user behaviours. But privacy and security will remain a major concern for users until better measures are put in place to secure their data. A new report from the User Experience Strategies (UXS) group at Strategy Analytics has investigated consumer perceptions and experiences of current AI devices, systems and services. For greater consumer engagement with AI and for it to be more than just a buzzword, upfront transparency of data use is key.
Key report findings:
- Consumers are most concerned with the uncertainty of who is listening, or who can gain access to their stored requests. To help overcome this, relatively recent launches of smart speakers with displays have included physical switches for microphone muting and camera lens covers to protect users’ privacy.
- Big tech companies have recognized the need for enhanced security measures and are seeking help from outside ethics committees to show their commitment to making users feel safer using AI products. Implementing solid ethics and making sure users are aware will help minimize these issues.
- 5G will be instrumental to AI. Enhanced data speeds in addition to increased connectivity and synchronicity will be the catalyst for AI to expand compelling use cases. This will also provide the opportunity for better security measures when devices and services communicate with each other.
Christopher Dodge, associate director, UXIP and report author, said, “At present, “AI” is mostly a buzzword that is used because it sounds cutting edge. Overhyping AI in this way poses a significant risk: raising consumer expectations and then failing to deliver compelling use cases risks confusing consumers or worse, turning them off to the benefits of AI altogether.
“AI has the potential to make life easier. By continuously learning from a user’s behaviour in the background, AI can provide recommendations that would be beneficial to the user and consequently enrich their lives. But without enhanced security measures, users will not buy into the concept.”
Chris Schreiner, Director, Syndicated Research UXIP, said: “Privacy continues to get a major boost from larger AI tech companies in the wake of many security breaches over the past couple of years. But this will only go so far if the upfront transparency does not exist for users to easily digest and understand how their data is to be collected and harvested in the first place.”