More than half of Australians believe the growing use of artificial intelligence is making customer service worse, according to a survey that has prompted calls for stronger consumer protections.
Consumer group Choice surveyed more than 1,000 people and found that just over half thought AI had worsened their experiences with products and services. Fewer than one in 10 said it had made them better.
The findings come as businesses and major retailers increasingly introduce AI chatbots and other automated systems to handle customer enquiries.
Jordan Cornelius, senior campaigns and policy adviser at Choice, said the results showed widespread scepticism about the technology.
“AI could result in one of the biggest shifts in power away from consumers we’ve seen,” she said.
Ms Cornelius said AI could undermine people’s ability to compare products and prices through “highly individualised surveillance pricing, dark patterns and poor customer service experience”.
Calls for stronger AI consumer protections
The survey also found that just under half of respondents believed the increasing use of AI was contributing to the prevalence of scams. Seven in 10 said businesses could not be trusted to use the technology as they saw fit.
Choice warned that AI could make scams more sophisticated, including through deepfake videos, synthetic voice clones and fraudulent advertisements designed to deceive people and steal their money.
“We’re already seeing the disastrous impacts AI can have on consumers, and without safeguards, this is likely to worsen,” Ms Cornelius said.
The Australian federal government is seeking to introduce standards for AI companies. Choice is calling for businesses to be barred from using personal information to set individualised prices, alongside stronger privacy protections.
The group also wants AI-powered services, including chatbots and online marketplaces, to be included in existing scam prevention measures.
“Without new, stronger laws, Australia’s consumer protection framework will simply not be able to keep pace with the significant harms associated with AI,” Ms Cornelius said.
