The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various aspects of our lives has begun and is set to redefine the business landscape significantly. While AI will completely transform how customers interact with digital experiences, it will be the organisations that most effectively leverage AI to solve real customer problems that will win the AI race.
How we design experiences now will not be how we design experiences in 12 months time, or even in six months. We need to ask ourselves how we are equipping our organisations to empower our team members to experiment, have end-to-end ownership, measure success, fail fast, learn quickly, and always put the customer first. It’ll never be more important than it is right now to have frameworks in place to operate at this pace of change.
One of the most transformative changes will be the role AI plays in customer service. According to dentsu’s Consumer Vision 2035 study, 42% of Australian respondents expressed a desire to have an AI "clone" of themselves by 2035 to handle shopping, administrative tasks, and communication on their behalf. This trend signals a significant shift in consumer behaviour and expectations, with far-reaching implications for businesses and customer service strategies.
As technology becomes more intertwined with everyday life, consumers will increasingly trust AI to manage significant aspects of their lives. This trust will extend to shopping, where AI clones will handle everything from selecting products to negotiating prices and managing delivery schedules. Brands must therefore create experiences that are both interactive and personal, leveraging AI to provide seamless and engaging customer interactions.
Brands will not only need to navigate AI barriers that protect consumers from unwanted solicitation but also engage in meaningful ways that align with the consumer’s mood and context. This will involve using AI to capture and analyse vast amounts of data to create personalised experiences that feel serendipitous and genuinely helpful.
The concept of AI clones - personalised AI assistants designed to emulate and manage a user’s preferences and tasks - are rapidly gaining traction. AI clones are not just theoretical; they are becoming practical tools that consumers will rely on to handle routine tasks - many transactions will be initiated, negotiated, and completed by these AI entities, leading to a new business context where brands must appeal to AI gatekeepers rather than their human counterparts.
This represents a fundamental shift in how brands will interact with consumers. These AI entities will act as intermediaries, filtering and managing interactions based on their programmed understanding of the user’s preferences and needs. This means brands will need to develop strategies to appeal to and negotiate with these AI systems to ensure their products and services reach the end consumer.
Consumers' expectations will continue to evolve and brands will be expected to anticipate consumer needs rather than simply reacting to them. This anticipatory approach will require sophisticated AI systems capable of predicting consumer behaviours and emotions before they happen. This shift from insight to foresight means that brands must develop capabilities to offer intuitive and personalised experiences that resonate on an emotional level.
To adapt to this new context, brands must make a strategic pivot from relying solely on insights drawn from past and present data to developing foresight that anticipates future consumer behaviours and needs.
This shift will involve several key strategies:
1. Develop Algorithmic Alliances: Brands need to forge partnerships with AI systems to gain access and influence over consumer decisions. This involves understanding the algorithms that AI gatekeepers use and ensuring that their products and services are aligned with these parameters.
2. Enhance Predictive Capabilities: Investing in AI technologies that can predict consumer needs and behaviours will be crucial. This includes developing systems that can analyse consumer data in real-time to offer personalised recommendations and experiences.
3. Create Intuitive Interactions: Brands must focus on creating interactions that feel personal and emotionally engaging. This involves leveraging AI to understand and respond to the consumer’s mood and preferences in real-time, providing experiences that feel tailored and spontaneous.
4. Invest in AI Research and Development: Continuous investment in AI R&D will be essential for staying ahead of the curve. This includes exploring new and emerging technologies that can interact seamlessly with AI tools.
5. Embrace Multi-Sensory Experiences: As consumers seek more immersive and personalised experiences, brands should leverage AI to engage all senses. This includes developing technologies that can adapt to the consumer’s emotional and physical cues - initially through facial recognition, but in time through voice analysis - providing a holistic and engaging experience.
The integration of AI into customer service is not just an emerging trend but a future reality that brands must prepare for. By 2035, AI clones and AI gatekeepers are expected to dominate the consumer landscape, requiring brands to develop new strategies to engage and appeal to these digital entities. By investing in predictive AI, creating intuitive interactions, and forging algorithmic alliances, brands can thrive in this new business context, providing personalised and anticipatory experiences that meet the evolving needs of their consumers.
In this AI-driven future, the brands that can seamlessly integrate with AI systems and offer genuinely helpful and engaging experiences will be the ones that stand out and succeed. The time to start preparing for this future is now.
Dentsu’s Consumer Vision 2035 report
James Bush, Head of Creative Technology, dentsu Australia & Aotearoa