Millennials Expect Personalization, AI Out Of Their Future Phones

On Thursday (Feb. 23), CSG Systems International, a digital services company, announced the results of a survey of millennials, which found they have clear priorities for their mobile services in the near future. They want personalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and as high-quality and intuitive experiences when it comes to streaming entertainment on mobile devices.

In a press release, CSG said it surveyed close to 1,000 millennials across the U.S., the U.K., Brazil and Australia to gauge their expectations for mobile services by 2022. One third-of survey respondents said they expect their mobile service to come from a nontraditional provider in the future, such as Google or Amazon. Another third said they expect public Wi-Fi services and other free amenities to become the norm.

On the personalization front, close to six out of 10 millennials said they would spend more money for a service that customizes to their usage patterns across voice, data and entertainment. More than 70 percent of millennials said they would likely let mobile providers access their mobile usage data in order to get a more personalized experience.

As for AI, nearly half of survey respondents said they want their mobile phone service to become like a personal assistant with the ability to anticipate their needs and take action. Fifty-three percent said they would spend more money on a mobile service that can be their personal assistant as well as their means of communication.

Millennials also said they want a high-quality viewing experience when it comes to watching entertainment on their mobile devices. An overwhelming majority said they plan to use their mobile devices to stream online video, while 57 percent cited better video, music and entertainment streaming experiences as reasons to pay more for a mobile service.

“Through this survey, we learned that millennials view their mobile service not just as a device they carry, but as a personal assistant to anticipate their needs, take actions on their behalf and ultimately make their lives easier,” said Phillip Yoo, president of carrier business at CSG International, in the press release. “Millennials are the rising customer — and revenue base — for mobile operators, and therefore will have a significant impact on the future of the industry. To successfully attract, retain and grow with this dynamic customer of the future will require innovation across advanced technologies and entertainment options.”