ChatGPT Archives — Carrington Malin

June 20, 2025
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The biggest barrier for AI First channels to overcome is a human one: trust. People are now, for the most part, willing to accept that AI can be useful, but there are plenty of things that they won’t trust it with. This is not because they are not comfortable with accepting the perceived risks of AI, but in commercial use, conversational AI has clearly failed to meet expectations.

At least two-thirds of consumers would prefer to seek human assistance over any automated service.

New research from ServiceNow sums the situation up quite nicely. A survey of 1,000 UAE residents found that 76% of consumers recognise the importance of a good chatbot service. However, respondents were also asked to rank their first choice of support channel according to their mood (for example calm and focused, or impatient and frustrated etc.). At least two-thirds of consumers – across all types of moods – would prefer to seek human assistance over any automated service.

This is an issue of trust. In the same survey, people were asked what they would trust an AI chatbot with. The most popular answer was ‘Tracking a lost or delayed package’, but with only 24% of respondents admitting that this is something they would trust a chatbot to do.

What tasks are AI chatbots most trusted with?

Unrealistic expectations?

Conversational AI clearly has a long way to go before consumers will trust company chatbots or voicebots, but this doubt remains in the face of enormous optimism and positivity towards AI in general in the UAE. The sentiment towards conversational AI in customer service provides a stark contrast to the attitudes of consumers towards the use of AI in daily life and their use of virtual assistants.

Another new survey on attitudes towards AI, this time from Melbourne Business School and KPMG, found that 86% of UAE respondents accept or approve of AI, with 65% confirming that they are willing to trust AI. So, it would seem that business has a problem. Even in a country as overwhelmingly optimistic about the benefits of AI, with rising levels of trust in the technology, businesses are still struggling to build that trust in their own conversational AI channels.

58% of respondents already expect that company chatbots should be able to respond differently according to their mood.- ServiceNow

It would also seem that the near ubiquitous use of ChatGPT and other virtual assistants is proving to be a mixed blessing for AI’s use in customer experience. OpenAI‘s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, X‘s Grok and others have been instrumental in raising expectations for how commercial conversational AI channels should behave and how they should respond to consumers: some would say to unrealistic levels! In ServiceNow’s UAE survey, 58% of respondents already expect that company chatbots should be able to respond differently according to their mood.

GenAI is becoming indispensable

On the plus side, the UAE’s enthusiasm for GenAI has meant that consumers are becoming a lot more comfortable communicating with AI in general, and many are adopting virtual assistants as their go-to channel for a variety of tasks from Internet research, to writing emails and generating business documents, to comparison shopping.

In fact, this month’s UAE Retail Report 2025 from global payment platform Adyen informs that 70% of UAE consumers have used ChatGPT or similar AI assistants to help them with shopping (more than double the 34% average across EMEA). The report also notes that the use of AI assistants for shopping by UAE consumers has surged 44% since 2024.

Ho widespread is AI in the workplace?

This means that are growing numbers of people using conversational AI on a daily basis. The KPMG report found that 92% of office workers in the UAE intentionally use AI at work, while 54% felt that they couldn’t complete their work without using AI! This usage also takes place in the knowledge that there are risks that come from using AI. Of those surveyed, 75% were concerned about negative outcomes from AI and 64% admitted that they made mistakes in their work as a result of using AI.

A question of value

Therefore, it would appear that even with the knowledge that using AI comes with certain risks, most consumers are still comfortable in using virtual assistants to help them, and are using them for more and more different tasks. Why? Well, why does anyone take to using anything that has attendant risks? Because consumers believe that the perceived value outweighs the perceived risks. I would argue strongly that consumers tend to avoid company chatbots when they can because they don’t believe that the perceived value outweighs the perceived risks.

When ServiceNow asked survey participants what the top barriers were for consumers in using AI chatbots for customer service, 93% agreed there were barriers. Although, when asked what their top barrier was, no one reason accrued more than a 14% vote (which was ‘They struggle with complex tasks”). So it looks very like the main barrier could simply be not meeting increasingly high consumer expectations. 47% of UAE respondents confirmed this, agreeing that the effectiveness of AI chatbots had not met their expectations.

How do AI chatbots meet expectations?

In the same survey 34% said that the effectiveness of AI chatbots had met their expectations, and encouragingly 19% said that effectiveness had exceeded their expectations. The fact remains though, that if almost half of your customers believe that you have failed to meet expectations, you have do have problems!

If almost 50% of your customers believe that you have failed to meet expectations, you have do have problems!

Rising consumer expectations are a fact of life for big brands, service providers, retailers, public authorities and many other kinds of organisation that must provide a positive customer experience. However, the comparison between free-to-use GenAI assistants and commercial chatbots and voicebots is hardly a fair one, but it’s one that is impossible to erase from the minds of consumers. The consequences of ChatGPT failing to meet expectations once and a while, are almost zero, but in a commercial environment, failing to handle a customer enquiry appropriately can end the relationship and so have a financial cost.

Raising the bar

It is clear then, company chatbots shouldn’t try to become general purpose tools like ChatGPT, because the risks are too great. It is also clear that the value proposition for most company chatbots is not clear and a common perception is that they are the poor, awkward, error-prone relation of human-to-human customer service. Despite using one of the most advanced customer service channels ever deployed in commerce, the majority of conversational AI simply has no ‘wow ‘!

How positive are UAE residents about AI?

The failure of chatbots and voicebots to meet consumer expectations is not a UAE, or a regional, problem. Organisations worldwide are faced with similar challenges. However, organisations in the UAE may have distinct advantages over counterparts in other geos, in particular Europe and north America. In a new global YouGov survey, the Emirates is markedly more positive about AI than Western countries and getting more so. The UAE’s optimism and acceptance towards Ai arguably make it the ideal testing ground to innovate, iterate and develop conversational AI services that raise the bar.

LINKS

This article first appeared in my June 2025 AI First newsletter.


April 16, 2023
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Sam Altman is expected to meet policymakers in Dubai, as part of his world tour, but we’re only one big scandal away from a global crackdown.

The OpenAI CEO is expected to visit Dubai as part of his 16 stop global tour in May-June to meet with customers, developers and policymakers Since Altman’s visit follows the Elon Musk-backed open letter to halt additional development and training of LLMs like GPT and Italy’s banning of ChatGPT at the end of March, the question of AI regulation is, no doubt, being quickly pushed up regulators’ agendas.

Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI) asked me why he is making this world tour and why now is the right time to talk to policymakers. In short, time is of the essence!

Italy’s ChatGPT ban over concerns about data privacy, lack of age restrictions and ChatGPT’s potential to misinform people at scale, provides a clear signal that OpenAI needs to open up channels with regulators worldwide to ensure that they feel they understand ChatCPT and the company’s plans a little better. Other regulators have these same concerns and it’s a significant challenge for regulators to keep abreast of how this fast-moving technology will affect existing laws, rights and data regulations

If OpenAI expects to keep releasing new more powerful versions, it needs to help set expectations now. So, it would be natural to expect there to be  dialogue between OpenAI and regulators, with OpenAI sharing what regulators can expect from its platforms, and regulators sharing their needs and concerns.

The more regulators feel ill informed or that laws are being ignored, the greater the risk of further bans. As with any new, little understood, technology, we’re only one big scandal away from a crackdown.”

As with any new, little understood technology, we’re only one big scandal away from a crackdown. So, it’s well worth OpenAI’s time to put some work now into keeping regulators informed.

You can read UAE-based journalist Megha Merani‘s full story in AGBI here


January 31, 2023
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Will ChatGPT take our jobs? The truth is that it gets an awful lot right and it gets an awful lot wrong!

Communications professionals, writers, journalists and researchers all seem to be asking if Chat GPT and other new AI platforms will take their job. I’ve been using AI writing apps for a couple of years now to help overcome ‘writers block’, sketch out ideas and, well, just for fun! So, what do I think? Will AI take my job? Here’s a little analysis that I did in January 2023. 

A recent survey survey of UAE residents by communications consultancy duke+mir and research firm YouGov, found that 55% were concerned about losing their job to AI (and this went up to 66% in the under 25 age group). It’s a notion that tech firms and some governments have done their best to deride over the last five years, but the evidence is very clear: artificial intelligence allows companies to do more with less – and that means less people too.

It is true that new technologies, including AI, are also creating new categories of jobs, but that’s not much of a consolation if you don’t have, or can’t acquire, the new skills required to take one of those jobs. This said, there are many things that AI simply cannot do, because those jobs require human thinking, dexterity or other nuances that are particular to human beings.

However, for some, the arguments are a little too academic. Most people don’t know much about how AI works, how it’s used, or what the benefits and risks might be. Many have relied on tech firms, scientists, journalists and government spokepeople for insights on how AI technologies will affect them. Now, suddenly, this may have changed a little.

With the public beta release of the latest versions of OpenAI’s conversational AI chatbot ChatGPT. Now, anyone with an Internet connection can play with AI, discover its potential, explore its boundaries and ask it about the future.

So, just for fun, I asked ChatGPT to write this week’s weekly article. Will it take my job? You be the judge!

I gave ChatGPT the following instruction:

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This is the first answer that the chatbot returned. It is unedited. I’ve fact checked this and put my comments under the article.


The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been actively investing in and adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies in recent years. These efforts are driven by a desire to diversify their economies, improve efficiency and productivity, and enhance the overall competitiveness of their countries.(1)

One key trend in the adoption of AI in the GCC states is the increasing focus on the development of smart cities. For example, the UAE has launched several initiatives aimed at creating smart cities, such as the Dubai Smart City project and the Abu Dhabi Smart City project. These initiatives aim to use technology to improve the quality of life for citizens, enhance urban planning, and create new business opportunities.(2)

Another trend is the use of AI in the healthcare sector. For example, in Qatar, the government has launched the Qatar Genome Project, which aims to use genomics and AI to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has launched the Misk Medical AI Program, which aims to use AI to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare in the country.(3)

Another key trend is the use of AI and other emerging technologies in the financial sector. For example, the Central Bank of Bahrain has launched the Bahrain FinTech Bay, which aims to promote the development of fintech and other innovative technologies in the country. Additionally, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has launched the Dubai Blockchain Strategy, which aims to use blockchain technology to improve the efficiency and security of financial transactions in the UAE.(4)

In addition to these specific examples, GCC countries have also been investing in other areas such as energy, transportation, and retail. For instance, in Oman, the government has been working with companies like Siemens to implement AI-enabled systems in the oil and gas sector. In Saudi Arabia, the government has been working to develop autonomous vehicles and drones for transportation and delivery purposes.(5)

Overall, the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies in the GCC states is being driven by the desire to improve efficiency and productivity, diversify their economies, and enhance the overall competitiveness of their countries. These efforts are also supported by significant investments in research and development, as well as the development of supportive ecosystems, such as innovation hubs and accelerators. As a result, we can expect to see continued growth in the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies in the GCC states in the coming years.(6)

It is worth noting that the GCC countries have a lot of potential to be the leader in AI, but there is also a lot of work that needs to be done to overcome challenges such as lack of data privacy laws and shortage of local talent. It is important for the GCC governments to work on these challenges and to also focus on building an ecosystem that supports innovation, investment and collaboration in AI.(7)


Fact check & analysis

  1. Paragraph one is correct and provides a useful introduction.
  2. Paragraph two provides a useful example and is essentially correct, but contains a little misinformation. Dubai Smart City project was announced in 2014, but since then has developed into several iniatives with different names such as Smart Dubai, which is now Digital Dubai. I don’t remember there ever being an “Abu Dhabi Smart City” project by name.
  3. Paragraph three is also useful, although the language is repetitive. However, again, ChatGPT inserts its own names. The Qatar Genome Project is the name of an actual project. As far as I know, “Misk Medical AI Program” is not, although Saudi Arabia’s Misk Foundation does have medical programs.
  4. Paragraph four contains misinformation. Again the content topic here is useful for the context of the article, but Dubai Blockchain Strategy was not launched by DIFC, it was announced by Smart Dubai and Dubai Future Foundation in 2017.
  5. These paragraphs are now following a formula, but even so paragraph five is a useful contribution to the report. Although, I would say that the claim that Saudi Arabia is “working to develop autonomous vehicles” is overstated and possibly misleading.
  6. Paragraph six is correct, although I would prefer if it had also mentioned some examples to make it more specific.
  7. Paragraph seven is correct and useful.

So, should I give up, or stick around for a while longer? ?

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This story was originally published on Linkedin