While Consumers Use AI Services to 'Reduce Burden', They Expect Emotional Values like 'Peace of Mind' and 'Excitement' as 'Added Value'
A joint survey by NTT Docomo Business X and NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting reveals that consumer AI usage is heavily skewed toward efficiency (pain reduction), with willingness to pay at only 3%. To monetize, AI must deliver emotional value.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 13:03 (97h 31m after Collected)
NTT Docomo Business X, Inc. (formerly NTT Com Online; Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shuji Inaba; hereinafter NTT Docomo Business X), in collaboration with NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shigeki Yamaguchi; NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting), conducted a "Survey on the Value Consumers Expect from AI Services" targeting 1,042 men and women in their 20s to 60s nationwide.
As a result, it became clear that while the use of AI services*1 has progressed to a certain extent among consumers, its utility value is heavily skewed towards "burden (pain) reduction" such as saving time, and has not sufficiently reached the point of "providing added value (gain)" such as fun and satisfaction. Furthermore, the intention to pay for AI services remains at a maximum of around 3%, confirming that the potential for monetization is limited at this point.
[Key Points]
1. The use of AI services is centered on "burden (pain) reduction" and does not yet provide added value like digital services*2.
2. The intention to continuously pay for AI services remains at a maximum of 3.3%, while the intention to pay for digital services is relatively higher for the "provision of added value (gain)".
3. Regarding the intention to use AI services, the "consideration/planning stage" is the most common at 53.0%, and what consumers seek is "emotional value".
You can view the detailed survey report here.
Detailed Survey Report
*1 "AI services" in this survey refers to "AI utilization for search (ChatGPT, etc.)", "Text creation (email/chat support)", "Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa)", "Planning (travel, routes, etc.)", "Fee simulation (insurance fees, electricity fees, etc.)", "Recommendation advertising", "Image/video advertising by generative AI", "Recommendations on video sites", "Automatic facial recognition by surveillance cameras", "Customer service at restaurants", and "Response to inquiries (chatbots, etc.)".
*2 "Digital services" in this survey refers to "SNS (Instagram, X, etc.)", "Messaging apps (LINE, WhatsApp, etc.)", "EC sites (Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, etc.)", "Food delivery (Uber Eats, Demaecan, etc.)", "Cashless payments (PayPay, Suica, etc.)", "Online transfer services (Yucho Direct, etc.)", "Video streaming sites (Netflix, YouTube, etc.)", "Music streaming sites (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)", "Ride-hailing apps (GO, S-ride, etc.)", "Travel reservations (Expedia, Rakuten Travel, etc.)", "Health management apps (Asuken, Fitbit, etc.)", and "Learning apps (Duolingo, Udemy, etc.)".
[Background of the Survey]
In recent years, along with the promotion of digital transformation (DX) in many companies, investment in AI technologies, including generative AI, is rapidly expanding. AI-related products and services are positioned highly as areas where new corporate adoption and increased investment are expected, making it an important investment area in corporate activities.
On the other hand, the majority of AI utilization is centered on introduction based on the provider's perspective, such as operational efficiency and cost reduction, and it cannot be said that value and experience from the consumer's perspective are sufficiently considered.
Also, in recent consumer behavior, there is a trend of "Merihari consumption (selective spending)", where people suppress spending on necessities while actively investing in areas that lead to personal fulfillment and satisfaction. Considering such consumer behavior, in order for AI services to be accepted and continuously used by consumers, it is thought that value provision based on consumer values, not just simple efficiency, will become important.
Therefore, we conducted this survey with the aim of understanding the awareness and usage status of AI services, the value expected from digital services, and the intention to pay for AI services among general consumers, thereby clarifying the direction of value creation for AI services based on the consumer's perspective.
[Main Survey Results]
1. Use of AI services is centered on "burden reduction" and does not reach the provision of added value like digital services.
We surveyed AI service users and digital service users about the desires and wishes fulfilled by using the services. As a result, for AI services, values related to efficiency, such as "eliminates wasted time and has a sense of speed," were most frequently chosen for 7 out of 8 targeted services.
On the other hand, digital services showed similar results for 6 out of 12 targeted services*3.
Also, regarding the value when using the service, assessing "burden reduction" and "value
As a result, it became clear that while the use of AI services*1 has progressed to a certain extent among consumers, its utility value is heavily skewed towards "burden (pain) reduction" such as saving time, and has not sufficiently reached the point of "providing added value (gain)" such as fun and satisfaction. Furthermore, the intention to pay for AI services remains at a maximum of around 3%, confirming that the potential for monetization is limited at this point.
[Key Points]
1. The use of AI services is centered on "burden (pain) reduction" and does not yet provide added value like digital services*2.
2. The intention to continuously pay for AI services remains at a maximum of 3.3%, while the intention to pay for digital services is relatively higher for the "provision of added value (gain)".
3. Regarding the intention to use AI services, the "consideration/planning stage" is the most common at 53.0%, and what consumers seek is "emotional value".
You can view the detailed survey report here.
Detailed Survey Report
*1 "AI services" in this survey refers to "AI utilization for search (ChatGPT, etc.)", "Text creation (email/chat support)", "Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa)", "Planning (travel, routes, etc.)", "Fee simulation (insurance fees, electricity fees, etc.)", "Recommendation advertising", "Image/video advertising by generative AI", "Recommendations on video sites", "Automatic facial recognition by surveillance cameras", "Customer service at restaurants", and "Response to inquiries (chatbots, etc.)".
*2 "Digital services" in this survey refers to "SNS (Instagram, X, etc.)", "Messaging apps (LINE, WhatsApp, etc.)", "EC sites (Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, etc.)", "Food delivery (Uber Eats, Demaecan, etc.)", "Cashless payments (PayPay, Suica, etc.)", "Online transfer services (Yucho Direct, etc.)", "Video streaming sites (Netflix, YouTube, etc.)", "Music streaming sites (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)", "Ride-hailing apps (GO, S-ride, etc.)", "Travel reservations (Expedia, Rakuten Travel, etc.)", "Health management apps (Asuken, Fitbit, etc.)", and "Learning apps (Duolingo, Udemy, etc.)".
[Background of the Survey]
In recent years, along with the promotion of digital transformation (DX) in many companies, investment in AI technologies, including generative AI, is rapidly expanding. AI-related products and services are positioned highly as areas where new corporate adoption and increased investment are expected, making it an important investment area in corporate activities.
On the other hand, the majority of AI utilization is centered on introduction based on the provider's perspective, such as operational efficiency and cost reduction, and it cannot be said that value and experience from the consumer's perspective are sufficiently considered.
Also, in recent consumer behavior, there is a trend of "Merihari consumption (selective spending)", where people suppress spending on necessities while actively investing in areas that lead to personal fulfillment and satisfaction. Considering such consumer behavior, in order for AI services to be accepted and continuously used by consumers, it is thought that value provision based on consumer values, not just simple efficiency, will become important.
Therefore, we conducted this survey with the aim of understanding the awareness and usage status of AI services, the value expected from digital services, and the intention to pay for AI services among general consumers, thereby clarifying the direction of value creation for AI services based on the consumer's perspective.
[Main Survey Results]
1. Use of AI services is centered on "burden reduction" and does not reach the provision of added value like digital services.
We surveyed AI service users and digital service users about the desires and wishes fulfilled by using the services. As a result, for AI services, values related to efficiency, such as "eliminates wasted time and has a sense of speed," were most frequently chosen for 7 out of 8 targeted services.
On the other hand, digital services showed similar results for 6 out of 12 targeted services*3.
Also, regarding the value when using the service, assessing "burden reduction" and "value