Is the AI explosion paving the way for a golden age of live experiences?*

As the world changes quickly, brands and companies are looking to adapt and tailor their messaging to stay relevant.

AI is fast-tracking this process, speeding up the generation and distribution of content, and personalising it to fit local or cultural narratives, or align with particular views and beliefs.

The downside to this is the propensity for AI to be harnessed in creating misinformation – fake news. Supported by hyper-realistic imagery and even video footage, this content is spread quickly and convincingly via online communities and social media threads.

As people begin to consume information differently via these newer channels, rather than predominantly through broadcast and print media, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine genuine content from that which is disingenuous – or just plain wrong.

What effect might this have on the relationship between brands and audiences?

Let’s start by thinking about the consumer environment.

We already know that AI is trying to be helpful (if at times a little annoying) when we’re researching that next purchase online, via targeted ads that seemingly pitch up out of nowhere. If the thing we’re intending to buy is a functional or transactional purchase, we’re quite possibly driven less by brand back-story and more by price and convenience; and in a world where time and cost are important factors, AI can help smooth the journey from consideration to purchase.

And yet... as human beings, we’re not just guided by practical thinking; we think with our heart, too. We seek an emotional connection with brands and products that fit our beliefs, our values, the way we live our lives; and validation from others who want the same things as us.

That emotional connection is formed when trust is earned – and we’re much more likely to trust something when we can either experience it for ourselves, or seek validation and endorsement from in-person interaction with others.

The most obvious places where this rings true are perhaps the most significant purchases we’ll ever make. Whilst the house-buying experience has harnessed AI tools to visualise a property with your own treasured possessions and customise the interior finishes to your own tastes, most of us want to physically stand in the space in order to imagine ourselves actually living there (AI can’t replicate “the feeling” when you’ve found your next home).

And whilst online configurators aid us in researching, customising and financing a car purchase, many of us will want to validate our choice in real life – especially as part of the transition to e-mobility: What’s it like to drive? How do I make the most of the vehicle’s features? What’s it like to live with every day? Again, this requires human interaction to earn trust – whether it’s a trip to a local dealer, or a home visit from a brand expert with a demo vehicle.

What about those brands that don’t have a physical product? How do they stand out and earn trust?

At a time when AI-generated customers leaving fake reviews can artificially promote the credibility of a brand, coupled with slick user interfaces that harvest information about you to deliver a highly personalised offering, it can be difficult for genuine brands to compete for attention. Consumers, still left with unanswered questions and mindful of all the noise around AI-enhanced marketing, crave proof of authenticity.

This is where live experience comes in. It’s a marketing channel that allows a brand to show up in a genuinely authentic way; and where consumers make up their own minds based on real, human interaction. Done well, AI might help brands conceptualise what these experiences look like, and craft the content that supports them – but it can’t generate emotional connection, which is absolutely key to unlocking brand advocacy.

There are similarities with organisations that communicate with their own people, too. Whilst the pandemic drove the prevalence of virtual events and on-demand content, in many companies there has been a quiet shift since that time towards a “self-service” approach to employee engagement. There is a feeling that we’ve all naturally become more used to seeking out information and answers for ourselves, and that we all want to learn in different ways - leading organisations to fundamentally question the value of in-person events when AI generated tools and content can do the job.

Yet, as humans our need for connection is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. It’s part of a fundamental need within us to feel that we belong. We build our emotional intelligence through interacting with others in the real world: sharing ideas, building new connections, seeking validation for our principles and beliefs.

Seen in that context, internal events are not just a social nicety; their in-person experience enriches us in a way that AI cannot.

So – what’s the future?

Whilst AI is undoubtedly no “fad”, when it comes to engaging audiences I think this all leaves us with some big questions:

• As AI adoption ramps up, will brands begin to view it through a new lens – becoming more selective about where and how it is used to engage audiences?
• In a world of continuous information flow, how will brands and organisations show up with authenticity?
• Will a craving for trust ultimately pave the way for more informal, human-led interaction; creating a golden age of live experiences?

As advocates of the power of audience experience in conveying purpose and building advocacy, it will be interesting to see what happens next.

* In an effort to retain a human perspective, no AI tools were harmed in the research or writing of this article!