Gap grows between AI adoption by Aussie brands & demand

Adobe has released a report indicating a significant gap between the pace of adoption of generative AI by Australian brands and the expectations of consumers.

The "State of AI-driven Customer Value" report surveyed both marketers and consumers to assess the role of generative AI in enhancing brand interactions.

While 44% of brands have already employed generative AI, consumer demand pushes for accelerated adoption, with 80% of Australians expecting full implementation by the end of the year. However, only 72% of marketers anticipate reaching this goal within the same timeframe.

Both consumers and marketers underscore the importance of transparency when implementing AI. The report reveals that 92% of consumers and 93% of marketers agree on the necessity for brands to be transparent about AI usage, especially concerning privacy and data usage, with 67% and 59% of consumers, respectively, highlighting these as critical factors.

Duncan Egan, Vice President of Digital Experience Marketing for Adobe Asia Pacific and Japan, addressed the concerns surrounding the use of AI.

"With rising concerns around AI, Adobe has been careful to develop its generative AI technologies in a thoughtful and responsible way, including with Adobe Firefly, our family of creative generative AI models."

"Firm ethical principles have been integrated at every step of product development and we continuously test our generative AI features to reduce the potential for harm and bias. To promote transparency around wholly AI-generated content, Content Credentials are attached to Firefly outputs," he stated.

Egan added, "We want to make it easy for brands to adopt generative AI to drive business value and consumer trust. This is why we've embedded generative AI directly into the workflows and tools that marketers and creatives use every day. We've also trained our models to create content designed to be safe for commercial use, and integrated tools that review this content for brand compliance."

The report further highlights areas where consumers see potential for generative AI to add value. Over half of the surveyed consumers (55%) noted an improvement in their online shopping experiences due to generative AI, with a strong interest in further enhancements such as automated product filtering, event suggestions, and chatbot-based customer support. A particular feature of interest is the ability to generate images of consumers wearing a product, with 70% believing this could increase their purchasing confidence.

Generative AI's potential in the travel sector also stands out, with 86% of consumers expressing an interest in personalised options for travel planning and 90% seeking real-time information on topics such as nearby amenities and price comparisons. The ability to generate comprehensive price comparisons for travel options is a particularly valued feature among consumers.

The "State of AI-driven Customer Value" research is based on responses from an online survey conducted between February and May 2024, involving 400 marketers and 1,000 consumers.