The best customer experiences feel invisible; they help users go about their day-to-day activities and achieve their goals with minimal effort or thought. And they are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Whether it’s real-time decisioning guidance on Netflix or Amazon, or quick dispute resolution on Uber, customers now expect a certain level of automation. However, Australian organizations are yet to realize the full potential of AL/ML-enabled customer experiences, despite amassing a vast data pool.
At Thoughtworks’ recent Digital Leaders Forum, we explored opportunities for business leaders and their organizations to use AI to enhance their customer experience.
During the event, the audience was asked to describe in one or two words how exceptional customer experience should make their customers feel. The word cloud that formed showed the potential to differentiate at a deeply emotional level – creating satisfied, excited or delighted customers who feel understood, confident and secure.
Get ready for immersive customer experiences
Many organizations are struggling to deliver AI/ML enabled experiences today, yet immersive experiences will be here before we know it. And those who are ready to leverage this opportunity will benefit first. Keynote speaker, Dr. Catroina Wallace painted a picture of the not-as-distant-as-you-might-think future of an AI-enabled metaverse. She suggests this could become as integral a part of our everyday lives as the digital world is today.
While the journey to being part of the metaverse may still be uncertain for many organizations, one thing is certain: the AI-enabled CX skills that organizations build today will be indispensable, as will the learnings we gain from responsible tech deployments in the virtual world.
Yet, as Dr. Wallace pointed out, Australia is lagging behind comparable nations when it comes to AI investment. The 2021 Australian Responsible AI Index by Ethical AI Advisory and Gradient Institute (of which Dr. Wallace is a director) found fewer than one in 10 organizations have a mature approach to deploying responsible artificial intelligence. Even the Digital Leaders Forum live poll revealed 14% of attendees believe AI is a “Horizon 3” priority – five years away.
Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Thoughtworks.