Beyond the AI chatbot: Bringing consumer-centric AI experiences to life

Though AI isn’t a new technology, at a time when it has become a trendy buzzword, it’s easy to lose sight of the true impact it can bring to our lives. At the heart of our work is a simple belief: AI should be about delivering better consumer experiences that not only transform industries but also elevate the everyday lives of individuals. We need to consider the value this tech can deliver to save time, cut costs, and simplify complex experiences. To illustrate this, we focused on an industry riddled with pain points – travel. Even the most experienced travelers often feel overwhelmed, parsing through endless content and options when planning trips and re-entering the same personal information across multiple websites when booking reservations.

We conceptualized a glimpse into the future where a new travel service powered by AI streamlines the travel planning and booking process by:

1. Capturing preferences through more visual and less textual prompting,
2. Recommending options that simplify and quicken decision-making,
3. Compiling multi-step purchasing into a one-click step to save time.

The current state of most consumer AI applications is limited to chatbot-style interactions that involve receiving incremental responses for each prompt entered. To deliver meaningful experiences, solutions need to exceed expectations. As depicted below, visual prompts provide a natural starting point to gather inputs, after narrowing down a user’s preferred type of trip.

To help users make quick and informed decisions after selecting their destination, tailored hotel options are shown with an analyzed layer of recommendation such as “Best flight for your budget” or “Close to downtown”.

If the available options do not meet the user’s needs, they can provide more context to further personalize their experience. The AI agent analyzes the user’s ask and provides updated options based on the new information.

And finally, once the destination, flights, and hotels are selected, the service automatically initiates the booking process in the background including filling out forms, ensuring accurate personal information, accounting rewards programs, and so on. In the near future, this could happen with AI agents representing either party interacting just through code, and providing users the benefit of saved time and effort.

All the interactions showcased in the video are possible with AI technology available today. While we’re seeing good advancements for enterprise or prosumers, most consumer-focused AI tools have created a brand wrapped around chatGPT type of LLMs. As you can see from the examples below, there’s much more to do to focus on adding value to regular people.

As we considered how to scale AI-enhanced experiences beyond travel, we developed the EPIC framework to amplify the value delivered across diverse industries.

Entice customers to discover and explore inspiring offerings.
Personalize recommendations to individual needs and preferences.
Improve tasks and flows to streamline the user experience.
Create outcomes that surpass customer needs.

Consider how these industries and more can apply EPIC to improve everyday experiences:

Shopping: Elevating retail with fresh style inspiration, budget-friendly product discovery, tailored choices, and simplified purchases.

Health & Wellness: Empowering individuals with wellness goals, tailored meal plans, workouts, and convenient grocery lists for their unique health paths.

Financial Services: Realizing financial goals by customizing financial advice, optimizing investments, and delivering accessible banking solutions.

Today’s digital age demands that enterprises adapt to constantly evolving market trends or risk being left behind. As the competition intensifies, the companies that embrace AI will gain a competitive edge by delivering real-time, data-driven insights to drive faster decision-making and more tailored experiences.
Imagine a world where your customers’ preferences, habits, and needs are not just understood but anticipated, making every interaction a personalized and seamless affair. This level of tailored service not only enhances customer satisfaction but also cultivates brand loyalty and advocacy.

Successfully integrating AI requires a front-end interface that seamlessly merges natural language processing (NLP) with immersive, visual content for a superior user experience. Critical steps to getting started include:

Strategic Planning: Define your objectives, target audience, and the specific challenges AI can solve.

Touchpoint Design: Craft an intuitive interface that aligns with brand identity and customer expectations.

Integration into Digital Ecosystem: Embed AI into the existing digital infrastructure, creating a unified and immersive customer journey.

Embracing AI might seem daunting, but that’s where propelland can be your trusted partner in navigating this technology. Our expertise spans strategy, design, and implementation, ensuring a seamless integration into your operations to add value to your customers. Together, we can unlock the potential of consumer-facing AI, transforming you into a pioneer of customer-centric innovation.

Propellers who brought to life this article:
Tina Tsung, Carla Morales, Neha Kodi, Ella Xu and Dwight Davis.