More Consumers Trust AI to Make Important Decisions but Want Better Communication

More than half of consumers now trust artificial intelligence (AI) to help make important decisions about their health, finances and insurance, according to a new survey from Smart Communications.

A provider of a customer conversation management platform, Smart Communications, surveyed 3,000 consumers worldwide to understand evolving expectations for digital customer experiences, especially in industries such as healthcare, insurance and financial services.

While consumers are increasingly open to AI-driven support, the survey found that poor communication remains a make-or-break issue.

It was revealed that two-thirds of respondents said they would switch providers if communications didn’t meet their expectations.

More people are open to using AI because they see it as useful.

In fact, half of all consumers surveyed said they would welcome AI-generated health recommendations (54%), financial advice (46%) or insurance plan suggestions (51%).

More importantly, overall hesitation about AI has dropped.

In 2024, 77% of respondents said AI use in customer communications should be clearly disclosed; that number fell to 37% in 2025.

Confidence in AI’s data security and ethical behavior also rose, with fewer than one-third of respondents expressing concern in those areas.

Still, the trust is not universal—especially within the healthcare system.

A recent national survey published in JAMA Network Open found that nearly two-thirds (65.8%) of U.S. adults expressed low trust in their healthcare system’s ability to use AI responsibly, and over half (57.7%) lacked confidence that their system would prevent AI from causing harm.

Women were less likely than men to trust responsible AI use, and respondents who had experienced discrimination while receiving care were significantly more doubtful.

Notably, neither health literacy nor knowledge of AI was linked to greater trust—pointing to a deeper, systemic credibility gap that healthcare organizations must address.

Despite those hesitations, many consumers surveyed by Smart Communications agreed that AI has the potential to improve their overall experiences.

However, the same cannot be said for the quality of omnichannel communication—the ability to engage consistently across email, phone, apps and in-person channels.

For instance, only 54% of respondents expressed satisfaction with their providers’ omnichannel capabilities, and 60% said they would trust companies more if those experiences were consistent across platforms.

Generational preferences only add to the complexity.

Email remains the most preferred communication method overall, but while nearly half (48%) of Silent Generation respondents favored email, only 39% of Gen Z respondents agreed.

However, print ranked lowest across all age groups, with just 12% selecting it as their preferred method.

In addition to problems with using omnichannel platforms, complicated online forms are upsetting younger users.

Two-thirds of all respondents—and more than 70% of Millennials and Gen Z—said they would abandon a brand if the data intake process was too difficult.

Consumers overwhelmingly favored fast, intuitive, guided digital forms over outdated PDFs or manual paperwork.

In fact, 63% of respondents said they’d prefer a guided digital intake process, and 77% said digital collection options were essential.

“Customers’ expectations are set by the best brands in retail, technology and eCommerce,” Leigh Segall, CEO of Smart Communications, said in a news release. “When healthcare, banking, and insurance organizations fail to meet these expectations, they risk losing customer loyalty and business.”

Additionally, 84% of respondents said that communication quality significantly shapes their overall experience with a brand—and for two-thirds, it’s the top reason they’d switch to a competitor.

While trust in AI has grown significantly and satisfaction with customer communications has improved since Smart’s last benchmark—up 75% in healthcare, 67% in banking and 46% in insurance—consumers are still sending a clear message: better communication matters just as much as emerging technology.

“The data is clear: consumers are ready to see what AI can do,” Segall said. “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.”