Forrester Predicts 1/3 of Brands to Erode Customer Trust with Self-Service AI in 2026

Forrester predicts that in 2026, a third of companies will harm customer experiences with frustrating AI self-service, leading to eroded brand and customer trust. The pressure to cut costs will cause premature deployment of customer-facing genAI chatbots and virtual agents, harming customer acquisition and retention. Consumer expectations and tolerance for surface-level efforts will continue to rise, making trust and value guiding beacons for consumer marketing, CX, and digital leaders.