Research from PensionBee reveals that while UK savers are open to AI playing a role in pension customer support, they are not ready for a fully automated experience.
PensionBee noted that 79% of survey respondents expressed preferences for “a mix of human and AI interaction when managing their pension accounts, highlighting a strong preference for a hybrid approach.”
Making up that figure, “11% of all respondents said they would be comfortable with AI taking the lead.”
34% preferred mostly human agents with AI “acting as support while a further 34% expressed a preference for an equal mix of humans and AI working together.”
In contrast, only 16% preferred entirely human support and “a further 5% said they were unsure.”
The nationally representative survey of “1,000 UK adults revealed a broad acceptance of AI in pension services, provided it works alongside human agents rather than replacing them.”
Around eight in ten (82%) respondents expressed either “a positive or neutral stance on AI-assisted pension support, while only 18% were opposed.”
This indicates that, for most savers, AI is seen “as a useful tool to streamline customer service rather than a replacement for human expertise.”
Transparency remains a “key issue.”
79% of those surveyed said it was important that AI tools “used in pension support are transparent about how they make decisions, with 45% stating that full disclosure of AI-driven determinations is essential.”
In contrast, just “3% believed transparency was unimportant, demonstrating a strong demand for clarity and accountability in AI’s growing role within financial services.”
When asked about the main advantages of AI in pension support, “34% of respondents cited 24/7 availability as the most compelling benefit, while 23% valued faster response times.”
Others highlighted improved “accuracy (14%) and AI’s ability to handle repetitive tasks (16%) as key advantages.”
However, 12% saw no benefits at all, showing “that while AI integration is widely accepted, scepticism remains among some pension savers.”
Luis Mejia, VP of Data at PensionBee, said:
“These results confirm what we’ve long suspected, that UK savers see AI as a valuable tool, but not a substitute for human expertise. Savers want the best of both worlds – faster service and round-the-clock availability, but with the reassurance of human oversight. The challenge for pension providers is to ensure AI-driven services remain transparent, reliable and truly enhance the customer experience.”
