Artificial Intelligence advancements unveiled in study by Genesys, yet lacking regulations could erode consumer trust in AI agents

In June 2025, a comprehensive survey was conducted in collaboration with an independent research firm, involving 4,000 consumers and 1,600 CX and IT decision-makers across more than 10 countries. Genesys, a global provider of AI-powered customer experience orchestration, was at the forefront of this study.

The surveyed companies represented various industries, with nearly 350 respondents hailing from Germany. The results revealed a significant gap between consumer demands for AI governance and company implementation.

Four out of five consumers expressed a desire for clear governance for AI interactions, but less than a third of companies have comprehensive guidelines. This discrepancy presents a substantial opportunity for companies to bridge the trust gap and innovate responsibly by scaling in a consumer-centric way.

Agent-based AI (Agentic AI) is increasingly prevalent in companies' customer experience strategies. However, in higher-risk situations, such as using AI agents for critical customer functions, consumers are much more cautious. Only 35 percent are comfortable with AI agents handling money transfers, 49 percent for resolving billing issues, and 50 percent for updating personal data.

German companies have been proactive in addressing these concerns. They have been developing comprehensive, company-wide policies and controls for the use of autonomous artificial intelligence in compliance with the EU AI Act, which came into effect starting August 2024. These policies focus on ensuring AI competence among employees, managing high-risk AI systems especially in personnel management, and implementing practical training tailored to different departments like HR and IT.

Despite these efforts, many consumers remain skeptical due to a lack of transparency in data usage and clear controls. Clarity on how AI uses personal data was the primary concern for respondents.

The data shows that while enthusiasm for Agentic AI is high, governance structures lag behind, posing risks to consumer trust, brand reputation, and compliance with regulations. More than half of consumers (58 percent) say they don't care whether their issue is resolved by a human or AI, as long as it's done quickly and completely. However, only 36 percent of consumers trust AI agents with sensitive customer data, while 81 percent of CX leaders do.

A concerning finding was that over a third of CX executives admit to having little to no formal governance guidelines. This lack of structure has raised concerns among CX leaders, with 59 percent expressing worry about AI hallucinations posing risks to customer loyalty, legal disputes, and brand reputation.

However, there is optimism among CX executives. Ninety-one percent of them believe their company will be able to offer faster, more efficient, and personalized service with Agentic AI. Moreover, more than 90% of CX executives surveyed believe strong governance is crucial for protecting brand reputation, building long-term trust and loyalty, and enhancing consumer well-being when interacting with autonomous systems.

Olivier Jouve, Chief Product Officer at Genesys, emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of Agentic AI. He encourages companies to prioritize these aspects to build trust with their consumers and ensure a successful implementation of AI in their customer experience strategies.

The survey findings can be found here.