In a world where AI is changing what’s possible, consumers have imagined the possibility of hearing their favorite celebrities as the voices of their virtual customer service agents. The No. 1 most desired voice across all generations, with his incredibly recognizable and resonant tone, was Morgan Freeman, according to a new report from Genesys®, a global cloud leader in AI-powered experience orchestration.

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Beyond the celebrity bot, consumers have preferences for the characteristics of their virtual agents. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Known for his witty commentary, “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds took the No. 2 spot in new report, “The humans and AI in unison: Driving the new era of customer experience.” The “Tortured Poets Department” singer, Taylor Swift, ranked as consumers’ third choice. And “Poor Things” star Emma Stone and “I’m Just Ken” singer Ryan Gosling rounded out the top five, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Overall, more than one-third of consumers would be interested in having a celebrity voice their customer experience bots. Actors and musicians were their top choices, followed by social media influencers and podcasters.

Beyond the celebrity bot, consumers have preferences for the characteristics of their virtual agents.

For starters, they don’t want them to show too much emotional empathy; 60% of survey respondents get angry or frustrated when a bot uses language like “I’m sorry” or “I understand your frustration.”

And, with the exception of baby boomers, consumers feel most comfortable dealing with a bot that sounds like a British robot. Boomers prefer to speak with a bot that sounds like a real person with an American accent.

Whether via a celebrity or robotic-sounding voice, organizations need to ensure their bots deliver fluid, personalized experiences that meet the needs of consumers across all generations. An entertaining bot experience might be fun at first, but if it fails to address a consumer’s concern, the results could disenchant them and impact the bottom line.

Learn more about the findings of “The humans and AI in unison: Driving the new era of customer experience” report here.

Methodology

Genesys conducted this research using an online survey prepared by Method Research and distributed by RepData among n=1,000 adults (age 18-plus) in the United States. The sample was equally split between genders, with a spread of age groups and geographies represented. Data was collected from October 31 to November 6, 2023. Respondents were provided with 10 pre-selected celebrities, as well as the option to write in their top celebrity choice.

About Genesys

Genesys empowers more than 8,000 organizations in over 100 countries to improve loyalty and business outcomes by creating the best experiences for customers and employees. Through Genesys Cloud, the #1 AI-powered experience orchestration platform, Genesys delivers the future of CX to organizations of all sizes so they can provide empathetic, personalized experience at scale. As the trusted, all-in-one platform born in the cloud, Genesys Cloud accelerates growth for organizations by enabling them to differentiate with the right customer experience at the right time, while driving stronger workforce engagement, efficiency and operational improvements.

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