AI and Pensions: UK Savers Want Balance, Not Bots

New research from PensionBee, a leader in the UK consumer retirement market, 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.

79% of 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.

AI gains trust, but transparency is key

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.

Demand for transparent AI decision-making

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.

Round-the-clock support is AI’s biggest selling point

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.”