Gartner's research indicates that customers favor ChatGPT over company chatbots.

      Businesses have invested heavily in AI to respond to their customers, but customers have different preferences. According to Gartner, Inc., individuals are roughly three times more inclined to utilize third-party generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, instead of a company’s own chatbot when addressing service issues.

      In a survey conducted by the research and advisory firm with 3,566 customers in February and March, the use of external generative AI tools during service interactions has nearly doubled within a year, while the usage of company chatbots has hardly changed since 2022. Many consumers have adopted these tools, with half of the U.S. public now using AI chatbots.

      Despite significant spending, the outcomes have been less favorable. A different Gartner survey involving 1,303 senior leaders revealed that customer service teams allocated a median of 12 percent of their 2025 budget to AI, the highest among business functions, yet only 24 percent reported a positive financial return.

      Eric Keller, a senior director analyst at Gartner, noted that the unsatisfactory results from customer-facing generative AI investments stem more from a disconnect with customer expectations than from technology limitations. He suggested that companies should focus on creating AI-enabled service experiences across digital and voice platforms rather than relying solely on standalone bots.

      Customer expectations have also evolved. Individuals now seek AI not just to provide answers but to carry out tasks. Among generative AI users, 58 percent indicated they had utilized it to act on their behalf, with the figure rising to 74 percent in business-to-business environments. Whether it's booking appointments, submitting documents, or updating accounts, customers expect bots to complete these tasks, while most company chatbots only provide answers. This disparity helps explain the migration to tools that deliver on these needs.

      The importance of this trend cannot be overstated. Customer service has emerged as an initial gauge of whether enterprise AI investments are beneficial. Currently, expenditures are outpacing returns, reflecting an adoption-versus-impact discrepancy across various industries. Meanwhile, AI labs continue to refine their offerings, and competitors are acquiring support AI solutions. Companies that treat generative AI merely as an addition to their chatbot services may find themselves losing customers to competing AI solutions.

      Moreover, it remains crucial to note that customers still prefer to speak with a human representative when the bot does not meet their needs.