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Campaign ME
28-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Why 50% of UAE consumers say AI is not meeting CX expectations
UAE consumers overwhelmingly prefer to interact with people for customer support, especially given that they don't feel AI is meeting their customer experience (CX) expectations, according to the newly released ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025. Now in its third year, the report, which surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 countries in the EMEA region — including 1,000 in the UAE — explores consumer expectations when it comes to AI's role in customer experience (CX). Despite rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and its widespread use in customer service, 68 per cent of UAE consumers stated that they prefer to interact with people for customer support, while more than 50 per cent of them shared that AI is not meeting their CX needs. Based on the findings of the research, this can be attributed to the perceived lack of AI's general emotional intelligence (EQ). More than half (54 per cent) of UAE consumers say that failing to understand emotional cues is more of an artificial intelligence trait than human; and 51 per cent feel agents having a limited understanding of context is more likely to be AI. An equal number (51 per cent) say that misunderstanding slang, idioms and informal language is more likely artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of UAE consumers feel repetitive or scripted responses are more of an AI trait. William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow. said, 'The key takeaway for business leaders is that AI can no longer be just another customer service tool – it has to be an essential partner to the human agent. The future of customer relationships now lies at the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence (EQ). Consumers no longer want AI that just gets the job done; they want AI that understands them.' High stakes, low trust The report also highlights a clear artificial intelligence trust gap, particularly for urgent or complex requests. UAE consumers embrace AI for speed and convenience in low-risk/routine tasks — 23 per cent of UAE consumers trust an AI chatbot for scheduling a car service appointment and 24 per cent say they are happy to use an AI chatbot for tracking a lost or delayed package. However, when it comes to more sensitive or urgent tasks, consumer confidence in artificial intelligence drops. Only 13 per cent would trust AI to dispute a suspicious transaction on their bank account with 43 per cent preferring to handle this in-person. Similarly, when it comes to troubleshooting a home internet issue, only 20 per cent of consumers across the Emirates are happy to rely on an artificial intelligence chatbot, with 50 per cent preferring to troubleshoot the issue with someone on the phone. Humans and AI For all the frustrations with artificial intelligence — almost half (47 per cent) of UAE consumers say their customer service interactions with AI chatbots have not met their expectations — the research does suggest that consumers consider AI as crucial for organisations looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences. For one, in addition to seamless service (90 per cent), quick response times (89 per cent) and accurate information (88 per cent), more than three quarter (76 per cent) of UAE consumers expect the organisations they deal with to provide a good chatbot service. But perhaps more interestingly, 85 per cent of consumers across the Emirates expect the option for self-service problem solving, which does indicate the need for organisations to integrate artificial intelligence insights and data analysis into service channels to anticipate customer needs before they arise. 'While artificial intelligence in customer service is currently falling short of consumer expectations, it is not failing. Rather, it is evolving. There is an opportunity for businesses to refine AI by empowering it with the right information, making it more adaptive, emotionally aware, and seamlessly integrated with human agents to take/recommend the next best action and deliver unparalleled customer relationships,' O'Neill added. 'Consumers do not want less AI – they want AI that works smarter. By understanding the biggest pain points, companies can make AI a trusted ally rather than a frustrating barrier.'
TECHx
27-05-2025
- Business
- TECHx
ServiceNow Reveals 2025 Consumer Voice Report
Home » Emerging technologies » Artificial Intelligence » ServiceNow Reveals 2025 Consumer Voice Report ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has released the ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025. Now in its third year, the report surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 EMEA countries, including 1,000 respondents from the UAE. It explored how consumers view AI's role in customer experience. The findings revealed that despite the rise of AI in customer service, many UAE consumers still prefer human interaction. In fact, 68% said they favor speaking with people over AI for customer support. ServiceNow reported that this is largely due to AI's perceived lack of emotional intelligence. 54% said AI is more likely to miss emotional cues 51% believe AI struggles with context and informal language 64% said scripted responses are mostly associated with AI William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow, stated that AI must now evolve beyond being just another support tool. He noted that customers expect AI to understand them emotionally, not just complete tasks. The report also revealed a clear trust gap when it comes to AI handling complex or sensitive issues. For simple tasks, UAE consumers show more acceptance: 23% trust AI for scheduling car service 24% are fine using chatbots to track lost packages However, only 13% would trust AI to handle a suspicious bank transaction. Instead, 43% would prefer to speak with a human. Similarly, only 20% would rely on AI to fix home internet issues. Half of the respondents preferred a phone call with a human agent. ServiceNow reported that 47% of UAE consumers feel AI chatbots still fall short of expectations. Yet, the report confirmed that consumers see AI as essential for top-tier customer experiences. According to the findings, UAE consumers expect: Seamless service (90%) Quick responses (89%) Accurate information (88%) In addition, 76% said companies should offer quality chatbot support. Meanwhile, 85% want self-service tools that help solve problems independently. O'Neill added that AI is not failing but evolving. He emphasized that businesses must enhance AI with data, emotional awareness, and human collaboration. He concluded that customers don't want less AI, they want smarter AI. By resolving pain points, ServiceNow reported, companies can turn AI into a trusted ally.
Channel Post MEA
27-05-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Half Of UAE Consumers Feel AI Not Meeting Customer Service Expectations: ServiceNow
ServiceNow has released the ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025. Now in its third year, the report, which surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 countries in EMEA — including 1000 in the UAE — explores consumer expectations when it comes to AI's role in customer experience (CX). Need to put the EQ in AI Despite rapid advancements in AI and its widespread use in customer service, UAE consumers overwhelmingly (at least 68%) prefer to interact with people for customer support. Based on the findings of the research, this can be attributed to the perceived lack of AI's general emotional intelligence (EQ). More than half (54%) of UAE consumers say that failing to understand emotional cues is more of an AI trait than human; 51% feel agents having a limited understanding of context is more likely to be AI; and an equal number (51%) say misunderstanding slang, idioms and informal language is more likely AI. Meanwhile, nearly two thirds (64%) of UAE consumers feel repetitive or scripted responses are more of an AI trait. 'The key takeaway for business leaders is that AI can no longer be just another customer service tool – it has to be an essential partner to the human agent. The future of customer relationships now lies at the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence (EQ). Consumers no longer want AI that just gets the job done; they want AI that understands them,' commented William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow. High Stakes, Low Trust The report also highlights a clear AI trust gap, particularly for urgent or complex requests. UAE consumers embrace AI for speed and convenience in low-risk/routine tasks — 23% of UAE consumers trust an AI chatbot for scheduling a car service appointment and 24% say they are happy to use an AI chatbot for tracking a lost or delayed package. However, when it comes to more sensitive or urgent tasks, consumer confidence in AI drops. Only 13% would trust AI to dispute a suspicious transaction on their bank account with 43% instead preferring to handle this in-person. Similarly, when it comes to troubleshooting a home internet issue, only 20% of consumers across the Emirates are happy to rely on an AI chatbot, with 50% preferring to troubleshoot the issue with someone on the phone. Humans and AI For all the frustrations with AI — almost half (47%) of UAE consumers say their customer service interactions with AI chatbots have not met their expectations — the research does suggest that consumers consider AI as crucial for organizations looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences. For one, in addition to seamless service (90%), quick response times (89%) and accurate information (88%), more than three quarter (76%) of UAE consumers expect the organizations they deal with to provide a good chatbot service. But perhaps more interestingly, 85% of consumers across the Emirates expect the option for self-service problem solving, which does indicate the need for organizations to integrate AI insights and data analysis into service channels to anticipate customer needs before they arise. 'While AI in customer service is currently falling short of consumer expectations, it is not failing. Rather, it is evolving. There is an opportunity for businesses to refine AI by empowering it with the right information, making it more adaptive, emotionally aware, and seamlessly integrated with human agents to take/recommend the next best action and deliver unparalleled customer relationships,' added O'Neill. 'Consumers do not want less AI – they want AI that works smarter. By understanding the biggest pain points, companies can make AI a trusted ally rather than a frustrating barrier.' 0 0
Washington Post
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
UN warns of 'severe' human rights abuses in Haiti as illegal weapons proliferate
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A steady stream of illegal weapons smuggled into Haiti is fueling an increase in gang violence and leading to severe human rights abuses, according to a U.N. report released Thursday. More than 4,200 people were killed from July to February, and another 1,356 were injured, the report found. It was issued after William O'Neill, the U.N. human rights commissioner's expert on Haiti, recently visited the troubled Caribbean country. While much of the violence has been unleashed by gangs who formed a coalition last year known as ' Viv Ansamn ,' a growing number of people are being killed by self-defense groups and mobs, including at least 77 suspected gang members slain in November after gunmen tried to attack a community in the Port-au-Prince capital, the report stated. It also found that the number of people killed and injured by authorities fighting gangs 'remained extremely high.' More than 2,000 people were killed during police operations from July to February, a 60% increase compared with the 1,253 killings reported from February to July of 2024. Some 73% of victims killed by law enforcement were reportedly gang members, but 27% 'were not associated with gangs and were often struck by stray bullets while in the streets or at home,' the report said. It noted that in some cases, police opened fire from armored vehicles 'where people were walking or selling goods on the streets.' It also said police have been reportedly involved in summary executions of suspected gang members, their families, 'or individuals who, when intercepted, were unable to provide identification or offer a sufficient explanation for their presence in the area.' The report stated that nearly 1,000 firearms belonging to Haiti's National Police have been diverted in the past four years, and that credible sources have said officers are selling some weapons on the black market. A police spokesperson did not immediately return a message requesting comment. The report said gangs also obtain illegal weapons from private security companies that use them. Overall, an estimated 270,000 to 500,000 illegal weapons are circulating across Haiti. 'The use of these firearms has fueled a destructive cycle of violence in Haiti, leading to severe human rights abuses,' the report stated. Detecting and seizing illegal weapons remains a challenge given what the report said was severe underfunding and understaffing at Haiti's customs and police departments, as well as a lack of resources and technology coupled with corruption and lack of oversight. It noted that a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to help fight gangs in Haiti has only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel envisioned. One Kenyan officer, Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, was killed in February in Haiti's central Artibonite region. A second officer, identified by Haiti's government as Benedict Kabiru, is considered dead after he went missing when gangs attacked his group on Monday as they tried to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch that officials believe was dug on purpose by gunmen. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
NBC News
28-03-2025
- NBC News
UN warns of ‘severe' human rights abuses in Haiti as illegal weapons proliferate
A steady stream of illegal weapons smuggled into Haiti is fueling an increase in gang violence and leading to severe human rights abuses, according to a U.N. report released Thursday. More than 4,200 people were killed from July to February, and another 1,356 were injured, the report found. It was issued after William O'Neill, the U.N. human rights commissioner's expert on Haiti, recently visited the troubled Caribbean country. While much of the violence has been unleashed by gangs who formed a coalition last year known as ' Viv Ansamn,' a growing number of people are being killed by self-defense groups and mobs, including at least 77 suspected gang members slain in November after gunmen tried to attack a community in the Port-au-Prince capital, the report stated. It also found that the number of people killed and injured by authorities fighting gangs 'remained extremely high.' More than 2,000 people were killed during police operations from July to February, a 60% increase compared with the 1,253 killings reported from February to July of 2024. Some 73% of victims killed by law enforcement were reportedly gang members, but 27% 'were not associated with gangs and were often struck by stray bullets while in the streets or at home,' the report said. It noted that in some cases, police opened fire from armored vehicles 'where people were walking or selling goods on the streets.' It also said police have been reportedly involved in summary executions of suspected gang members, their families, 'or individuals who, when intercepted, were unable to provide identification or offer a sufficient explanation for their presence in the area.' The report stated that nearly 1,000 firearms belonging to Haiti's National Police have been diverted in the past four years, and that credible sources have said officers are selling some weapons on the black market. A police spokesperson did not immediately return a message requesting comment. The report said gangs also obtain illegal weapons from private security companies that use them. Overall, an estimated 270,000 to 500,000 illegal weapons are circulating across Haiti. 'The use of these firearms has fueled a destructive cycle of violence in Haiti, leading to severe human rights abuses,' the report stated. Detecting and seizing illegal weapons remains a challenge given what the report said was severe underfunding and understaffing at Haiti's customs and police departments, as well as a lack of resources and technology coupled with corruption and lack of oversight. It noted that a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to help fight gangs in Haiti has only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel envisioned. One Kenyan officer, Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, was killed in February in Haiti's central Artibonite region. A second officer, identified by Haiti's government as Benedict Kabiru, is considered dead after he went missing when gangs attacked his group on Monday as they tried to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch that officials believe was dug on purpose by gunmen.
