Challenges of Utilisation of AI Chatbot (Leo) as a Digital Public Relations Strategy among UBA Customers in South-East, Nigeria

In the banking sector, AI-driven Public Relations (PR) strategies have gained prominence, with financial institutions leveraging chatbots, such as UBA’s Leo, to provide seamless customer interactions, promote services, and handle inquiries efficiently. Challenges such as user resistance, technical glitches, and concerns about data privacy remain areas that PR practitioners and banks must continuously address. This study examined the challenges in the utilisation of AI chatbot Leo as a digital PR strategy among UBA customers in south-east, Nigeria. The study adopted mixed-methods research approach that involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study sampled UBA customers in south-east Nigeria using survey and in-depth interviews. The study found among other things, some challenges to chatbot utilisation including, network and technical issues, the inability of the Leo chatbot to understand complex queries. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among other measures, that UBA strengthen its network infrastructure and system reliability to reduce frequent disruptions and technical glitches. In addition, UBA should enhance data privacy and security measures by implementing stronger encryption, secure authentication methods, and conducting regular security audits.