Companies are making the same mistake with AI that Tesla made with robots

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• 82% of people prefer human customer service reps to AI. 
• Overreliance on AI could cause reputational damage.
• Some companies are reinvesting in humans over AI.

This time three years ago, most people had never heard of generative AI. Today, the technology is a cultural behemoth, and businesses across virtually every industry are facing huge pressure to embrace it.

Also: OpenAI's Altman calls AI sector 'bubbly', but says we shouldn't worry - here's why

At least at first glance, customer service would seem to be a field that's particularly ripe for AI-powered automation. Chatbots specialize in fielding simple queries, while newer and more powerful agents can access a business's internal files to provide up-to-date information, send follow-up emails, and perform other complex tasks. Little wonder that a ...