NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN), the leading provider of cloud mobile and online business messaging solutions, has released the results of new consumer research that examines how concerned people are about losing their jobs to automation, and their thoughts on what industries are most at risk.

A new wave of bots, AI, and automated technologies is sweeping into widespread use, and research indicates they may be poised to displace millions of jobs. To understand how consumers view the impact of these technologies, LivePerson commissioned a survey of more than 2,000 US consumers and found a majority of consumers are not concerned about losing their own job to automation, but believe other industries and other jobs are at risk.

The full report is available for download at: http://info.liveperson.com/US-Automation-Report.html. Some key findings are included below.

• Bots can't do my job: In spite of the media hype around automation replacing jobs, more than 46% of respondents reported they are not at all worried robots will replace them in the workforce and 58% feel very secure and confident their job will still exist in 10 years. In fact, most respondents believe the greatest threat to their job security is a struggling economy (36%). This is followed by not being paid well enough (21%), unhappy employees (15%) and overseas workers (10%). Automation came in fourth at 14%.
  However, consumers aren't dismissing the potential impact of automation completely. Acknowledging the threat automation poses to the workforce, 65% of respondents believe that other industries may be at risk but their job and industry are safe.
• Bots can do these jobs: Consumers see manufacturing (68%), banking/accounting/financial services (52%), and customer service (52%) as the top three industries most at risk of automation in the next 20 years. As far as what particular jobs consumers think will disappear, factory worker (57%) and cashier (53%) topped the list. These were also the two top jobs consumers would trust a robot to perform. However, nearly 20% of consumers would not trust a robot to replace any job.
• Are you prepared?: While more than 50% of respondents feel secure in their jobs, most reported they have taken some measures to increase their job security. 45% have taken a course to learn new skills, and 32% have attended conferences focused on professional development.

"We are seeing tremendous interest from large brands as we help them build out their bots strategy and integrate bots into their digital and customer care organizations, right alongside their human agents," said Rurik Bradbury, global head of communications and research at LivePerson. "We commissioned this research as part of an ongoing effort to more deeply understand the consumer perspective on bots."

This survey was commissioned by LivePerson and conducted online by independent research firm Survata. The survey interviewed 2019 US-based, currently-employed consumers, ages 18 and older between January 10, 2017 and January 12, 2017. Respondents received no cash compensation for their participation. More information on methodology can be found at survata.com/methodology.

About LivePerson
LivePerson is the leading provider of mobile and online messaging business solutions, enabling a meaningful connection between brands and consumers. LiveEngage, the Company's enterprise-class, cloud-based platform, empowers consumers to stop wasting time on hold with 1-800 numbers, and instead message their favorite brands, just as they do with friends and family. More than 18,000 businesses, including Adobe, Citibank, EE, IBM, Orbitz, PNC, and The Home Depot rely on the unparalleled intelligence, security, and scalability of LiveEngage to reduce costs, increase lifetime value, and create stronger, more intuitive relationships with consumers.

Safe Harbor Provision
Statements in this press release regarding LivePerson that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. Any such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to financial guidance, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is routine for our internal projections and expectations to change as the quarter and year progress, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations may change.  Although these expectations may change, we are under no obligation to inform you if they do.  Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements.  Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein include, without limitation: potential fluctuations in our quarterly revenue and operating results; competition in the markets for digital engagement technology, and web and mobile based consumer-facing services, and online consumer services; our ability to retain existing clients and attract new clients; potential adverse impact due to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; privacy concerns relating to the Internet that could result in new legislation or negative public perception; risks related to new regulatory or other legal requirements that could materially impact our business; our ability to effectively operate on mobile devices; responding to rapid technological change and changing client preferences; additional regulatory requirements, tax liabilities, currency exchange rate fluctuations and other risks as we expand internationally and/or as we expand into direct-to-consumer services; impairments to goodwill that result in significant charges to earnings; the adverse effect that the global economic downturn may have on our business and results of operations; our ability to retain key personnel, attract new personnel and to manage staff attrition; risks related to the ability to successfully integrate past or potential future acquisitions; our ability to expand our operations internationally; failures or security breaches in our services, those of our third party providers, or in the websites of our customers; risks related to the regulation or possible misappropriation of personal information belonging to our customers' Internet users; potential failure to meeting service level commitments to certain customers; technology systems beyond our control and technology-related defects that could disrupt the LivePerson services; risks related to protecting our intellectual property rights or potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties; legal liability and/or negative publicity for the services provided to consumers via our technology platforms; risks related to technological or other defects disrupting our services; errors, failures or "bugs" in our products may be difficult to correct; increased allowances for doubtful accounts as a result of an increasing amount of receivables due from customers with greater credit risk; payment-related risks; delays in our implementation cycles; risks associated with the recent volatility in the capital markets; our ability to secure additional financing to execute our business strategy; risks associated with our current or any future stock repurchase programs, including whether such programs will enhance long-term stockholder value, and whether such stock repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our common stock and diminish our cash reserves; our ability to license necessary third party software for use in our products and services, and our ability to successfully integrate third party software; changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States; our ability to maintain our reputation; risks related to our recognition of revenue from subscriptions; our lengthy sales cycles; risks related to our operations in Israel, and the civil and political unrest in that region; natural catastrophic events and interruption to our business by man-made problems; the high volatility of our stock price; and risks related to our common stock being traded on more than one securities exchange. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.  Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed from time to time by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of these and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in forward-looking statements.

Media Contact
Allison Franzese
afranzese@liveperson.com
212-609-4224

SOURCE LivePerson, Inc.