AnswerConnect OnePoll survey of 2,000 US adults – October 2025
Artificial “Intelligence” may be transforming industries, but when it comes to customer service, most people still want what no algorithm can offer: empathy, understanding, and the reassurance of a real conversation.
To better understand people’s attitudes toward AI in daily life and customer service, we commissioned a nationwide survey in October 2025. The results reveal where people stand on AI in customer interactions. And why brands risk losing trust, loyalty, and connection when they remove the human touch.
Here are ten stats every business leader should know:
1. 79% of Americans would rather speak to a real person than AI when contacting a business
For all the hype about automation, the majority of customers still crave genuine human interaction. They want to feel heard and understood, not processed by a program. Real human connection is everything.
The message is clear: When contacting a business, customers want real people, not bots.
2. 86% prefer a real person over AI for healthcare, and 84% when contacting law firms
The closer the stakes are to our lives and livelihoods, the more we want a human on the other end of the line.
When it comes to complex or sensitive conversations, AI simply can’t replicate human reassurance or understanding. AI can process data, but it can’t calm nerves, build trust, or offer sensitivity.
And when situations involve real emotional or financial stakes, people want reassurance, not automation. That’s where humans matter most.
3. 47% say their trust in a business would decrease if it relied mostly on AI for customer service
Trust is the currency of customer relationships and the foundation of loyalty. And nearly half of consumers are telling businesses that overly-relying on AI erodes that trust.
This shows that replacing humans with automation can actively damage confidence in a brand.
The message is clear: technology should support people, not replace them.
4. 75% would choose the business where a human receptionist answers their call
….when contacting three businesses with similar reviews.
When reviews are equal, what sets businesses apart is humanity.
People value a warm greeting, a real conversation, a sense that someone genuinely cares. These are the moments that inspire confidence, win business from competitors, and build loyalty.
5. 87% have asked to speak to a real person instead of an AI or chatbot
….73% of those have requested multiple times, 14% requested once.
We’ve all been there, “Press 1 to speak to a robot. Press 2 to scream into the void…”
Most of us have felt that frustration. And customers aren’t passive in this shift, they’re actively pushing back. Almost 9 in 10 people have asked to speak to a human, and most have done so more than once. This shows when it comes to real service, people actively prefer humans over AI, not just occasionally, but consistently.
6. 66% say human agents show more empathy and caring than AI in customer service
Empathy can’t be automated. It’s not a feature you can just program. It’s built from shared human experience, tone, and intuition. And real people can sense context and emotion.
That human awareness is what makes someone feel heard, and it’s what machines still lack. The ability to truly understand how someone feels, and respond appropriately, remains uniquely human.
7. 58% believe customer service would be worse if humans were replaced by AI
Despite advances in natural language processing, more than half of customers still think customer service suffers when humans are replaced by AI.
AI is not a replacement for genuine service. Real customer service takes understanding, and understanding takes people.
8. 75% are concerned AI could replace humans in customer service roles
….of those 38% are very concerned, 36% somewhat concerned.
AI anxiety isn’t just theoretical, it’s personal. People worry about what automation means for jobs, dignity, and the human role in society.
Businesses that use AI responsibly can ease that fear by keeping people front and center.
9. 83% believe it should always be clear when you’re speaking to AI instead of a person
Transparency matters. Consumers don’t want to feel tricked. They want honesty about how they’re being served. They want to know who (or what) they’re talking to.
That doesn’t mean hiding AI, it means being upfront about how and when it’s used.
10. 63% say they’d be more loyal to companies that employ people rather than AI for all their service interactions
The commercial case for keeping humans in the loop couldn’t be clearer. Loyalty grows from human relationships.
When service feels real, people come back. That’s why human-first service isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a smart business strategy too.
Final thoughts
AI has a role to play in modern customer service. But not at the expense of empathy, trust, or human connection.
As technology races ahead, businesses have a choice: chase efficiency, or champion humanity.
The companies that thrive in the AI era will be the ones that use technology to amplify humanity, not erase it. Because when it comes to service, people still choose people.
Key takeaways
- Human connection drives loyalty. Customers trust people, not programs.
- Empathy can’t be automated. AI can analyze words, but only people can understand feelings.
- Transparency builds trust. Consumers want honesty about when they’re speaking to AI.
- Responsible AI wins. Businesses that use technology to enhance, not replace, people will earn long-term trust.
- Human-first is the future. The data proves it: when it comes to service, people still choose people.
