AI VS APPS
BY JAMIE TIMM, TELUS DIGITAL
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
THE AI ASSISTANT- APP FACE-OFF HOW DO THESE DIGITAL CHANNELS COMPARE?
For years, mobile apps sat at the center of customer experience( CX), giving brands a direct, owned channel to consumers and offering users easy access to the brands they loved.
That model made sense in the“ tapand-swipe era,” when convenience meant a clean interface and touchscreen navigation. But with the rise of new technologies, consumers are redefining convenience, shifting from polished designs to effortless dialogs: which is an area where AI assistants excel.
We are seeing that AI assistants are starting to rival apps by providing the same capabilities through simpler, more natural interactions.
This was highlighted in a consumer poll from my firm, TELUS Digital. One in three respondents said they had replaced at least one app with an AI assistant last year, and 36 % expect to rely on AI even more a year from now.
Although AI assistants are capturing a growing following who use them for some everyday tasks, traditional apps remain relevant. According to our poll, 58 % of consumers reported no change in their app usage over the past year, and nearly a quarter actually said they used them more.
Respondents highlighted several factors that keep them engaged with apps, including loyalty rewards and perks
( 51 %), ease of browsing( 37 %), and familiarity and habit( 35 %).
Apps may also have an advantage when it comes to customer support escalations, particularly when they are integrated into a brand ' s CX ecosystem.
When customers escalate from branded apps to live agents, the agents can access their purchase histories, account details, and in-app activities: context that standalone AI assistants can ' t yet provide.
With this in mind, the question for brands isn’ t whether to invest in apps or AI assistants. Instead, it is determining which customer interactions, from first touch to long-term loyalty, should take place on which channel.
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