No trust equals no business. We all know that if your clients or customers don’t trust you, then they won’t do business with you, unless of course they have no other choice. Now throw AI and automation into the mix and you have an added layer of complexity when it comes to building and maintaining trust. Some people love AI, others fear it so introducing AI into your business may cause trepidation for both employees and customers if it’s not managed properly. Humans and AI need to co-exist, so, if you’re thinking about using it then you need to consider how you are going to develop trust in AI.

How to develop trust in AI

1. Transparency

You need to be open with your customers, and employees, about the use of AI and automation. Don’t try to hide it or mask it as a human. Provide a clear explanation of what it is and why you think it will benefit them. Describe how the algorithms work, what purpose they serve and advise what laws they comply with. The more transparency the better because people fear more the things that they don’t understand – explain it.

2. Human/AI collaboration

Position AI as an assistant to humans, not as a total replacement. AI should be used to enhance the human capabilities of employees and create better experiences for customers. For example, AI could perform the repetitive and mundane tasks freeing up human team members to focus on more value-added activities that improve the service for customers. To alleviate any potential fears about AI overstepping the mark ensure to communicate that your AI has to comply with all the same rules, layers of compliance and the law just as your human team members do.

3. Ethical AI Practices

Like any technology, AI can be used for bad practices as well as good ones so it’s essential that your organisation mitigates against biases in AI algorithms to ensure fairness. Regular audits and evaluations should be conducted to monitor for ethical compliance and senior leaders should check and confirm that any AI is also aligned and consistent with their company culture.

4. Get customer and employee feedback

When implementing AI solutions build in automatic feedback loops that are able to scan for language and emotion to help gauge how customers are feeling about their experience. Verify that feedback by talking to your customers, and also your employees that are engaging with them. Actively seek feedback and take note of concerns and recommendations, what they like and don’t like. Look for patterns in the automated feedback loops that might illuminate potential issues and use this feedback to make iterations and improvements that improve their experience. Listening and showing responsiveness helps to boost trust of both customers and employees.

5. Data Privacy and Security

It’s vital that you risk assess and make safeguarding your customer (and employee) data a top priority. Clearly explain what data is collected, what it’s used for and ensure you obtain valid and informed consent where appropriate. Build in rigorous data governance and best practices and communicate a strong commitment to both privacy and security. Also be you aware that other AI may be being used to circumvent your processes fraudulently so checks and controls and cyber security are essential.

6. Empower customers with choice

Continue to educate customers about the benefits of AI and automation but don’t be afraid to share any limitations too. Sometimes the option to interact with a human is more appropriate. Always have the option for a person to reach out to a human to resolve problems or issues. There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in an automated loophole or being given the wrong information when you have an urgent problem to resolve.

7. Consistent Performance

Make sure your AI and automated systems are accurate, timely and consistently perform well. Automation and AI that doesn’t work well can be disastrous. Rigorous testing and ongoing improvements will keep systems doing their functions properly.

Good experiences develop trust

Humans ultimately want a positive experience so when a customer or employee sees that AI and automations help enhance their experience they will embrace it. As long as the AI respects their privacy, aligns with your brand values (and theirs), then trust will follow naturally.

Need help with AI?

If you’re unsure about AI and need to understand better what benefits it can bring to your business, then why not check out our free guide: How to unlock the benefits of Data, AI, & Automation.