Invoca Study Reveals Consumers Embrace AI, but Reject Replacing Humans, in the Buyer Journey

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Jul 24, 2025, 09:00 ET

Study finds 77% accept AI when human support remains available, and 67% prefer human help for complex purchases. Meanwhile, 41% are actively influenced by generative AI before even reaching out.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Invoca, the leader in AI-powered revenue execution platforms, today released The B2C Buyer Experience Report 2025, revealing how consumers value human connection and perceive AI in the modern buying journey. The study surveyed 1,000 consumers making "high-stakes" purchases—complex, high-value decisions across automotive, healthcare, financial services, home services, insurance, telecommunications, and travel. The findings make one thing clear: consumers don't want AI to replace human support – they want both working together seamlessly.

Invoca Study Reveals Consumers Embrace AI, but Reject Replacing Humans, in the Buyer Journey

"AI has fundamentally changed how consumers research and arrive at purchase decisions. They're showing up ready to buy, armed with AI-generated insights and competitor comparisons. If you're responsible for driving revenue at a B2C brand, you've seen the shift firsthand," said Peter Isaacson, CMO at Invoca. "But in high-stakes moments like buying a car or choosing insurance, customer experience can still make or break the sale. It's not about AI versus humans, it's about using AI to empower people to connect, convert, and close when it matters most."

Buyers Turn to Generative AI to Supplement, Not Replace, Traditional Research

At the very first step of the buying journey, Invoca research shows that 41% of respondents now actively use generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to research high-stakes purchases, such as comparing options, generating questions for salespeople, and clarifying complex topics. However, rather than replacing traditional search engines, consumers are using AI as a supplement to their existing research methods.

The data reveals that while consumers are experimenting with generative AI, traditional search engines still dominate complex purchase research. However, this dynamic is likely to shift as younger, AI-comfortable consumers become the majority. The report shows:

46% rely solely on traditional search engines for complex purchase research
44% use both AI and traditional search together (though most still lean more on search)
Only 2% depend mostly on generative AI
Just 20% of Boomers use both AI and search engines, compared to higher adoption among younger generations

AI Works Best When Humans Stay Accessible

Invoca's study found that 77% of buyers are more willing to use a brand's AI assistants when they can also easily reach a human representative, emphasizing the need for CX strategies that enhance rather than replace human support. As AI becomes more prevalent, buyers show a clear preference for hybrid experiences that combine AI speed with human empathy and trust. Additional key report insights include:

Seamless escalation builds trust: 67% of respondents prefer human support when both AI and human options are equally available
Efficiency still matters: 74% of respondents prefer using AI when it resolves issues faster than a human
Human connections remain essential: 84% of respondents say human connection is important during high-stakes purchases, and 44% now prefer calling a business for help, up from 32% in 2022
AI is becoming part of the research process: While 41% of respondents actively use generative AI tools to research major purchases, most still rely primarily on traditional search engines
Premium service pays off: 70% of respondents are willing to pay more for the best customer service, up from 63% in 2022

Consumers Embrace AI but Still Turn to Phone Calls When Human Connection Matters

While 84% of respondents report interacting with brand-provided AI during major purchase decisions, they were nearly split between those who said AI made the buying experience better, worse, or that it made no difference at all. The key differentiator isn't the technology—it's giving consumers choice and control over when to use AI versus human assistance.

Despite rapid AI advances, the preference to call businesses for assistance has surged from 32% in 2022 to 44% today. A whopping 67% of consumers called a business during their buying journey, and calling is the #1 preferred channel when consumers need help with their purchase. This underscores the need for brands to connect digital journey data to phone conversations for seamless, personalized experiences.

The business case is clear. Consumers want AI to enhance, not replace, human interactions while maintaining choice between digital and phone channels for transactions and support.

Designing AI for the Next Era of Customer Trust

These findings underscore the need to design customer journeys where AI and human connection work in tandem. Brands must strike the right balance or risk losing trust during critical buying moments. The research points to a future where strategic AI deployment handles routine inquiries, while human experts step in when empathy, relationships, and complex problem-solving are essential.

Explore the Full Report Findings

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About Invoca

Invoca is an AI-powered revenue execution platform that connects marketing, commerce and contact center teams to orchestrate seamless buyer journeys and deliver the best AI-driven buyer experiences. By using a comprehensive platform with deep integrations with leading technology platforms, revenue teams can better connect their paid media investments directly to revenue, improve digital engagement, and deliver the best buyer experiences to drive more sales. With Invoca, top consumer brands, including AutoNation, DIRECTV, Mayo Clinic, Mutual of Omaha, and Verizon, experience unbelievable results powered by undeniable data. Invoca has raised $184M from leading venture capitalists, including Upfront Ventures, Accel, Silver Lake Waterman, H.I.G. Growth Partners, and Salesforce Ventures. For more information, visit www.invoca.com.

Methodology

The B2C Buyer Experience Report 2025, conducted by Sago Online Research, analyzed responses from 1,000 consumers in the US and UK who researched and made "high-stakes" purchases in the last 12 months across automotive, healthcare, financial services, home services, insurance, telecommunications, and travel industries.

SOURCE Invoca