This year, I got some help with my predictions. This is part of a 3-part series that blends my own thoughts about the year ahead with those of leading experts across Marketing, AI, Customer Experience, and more. Let’s take a look at what the experts are saying.
What if the next great competitive edge for brands has less to do with technology than it does with the role that humans will play?
As we enter 2026, the omnipresence of artificial intelligence will continue to transform it from a cutting-edge advantage into a mere operational baseline. As every competitor integrates the same autonomous agents, generative tools, and optimization engines, the race for the “fastest algorithm” will become irrelevant. Industry leaders agree: the brands poised to win in this saturated environment will bypass the technology arms race entirely.
They will instead double down on the one irreplaceable commodity: humanity. The battle for market share is shifting to three non-technical fronts: radical authenticity, non-negotiable trust, and measurable
The Backlash Against “AI Workslop”
The first major shift predicted for 2026 is a consumer rebellion against the generic. As generative AI floods channels with content, Rachel Sterling, CMO at Identity Digital, predicts that “audiences will tire of AI-generated content, and seek authenticity”. The novelty of automated creation will wear off, replaced by a demand for “genuine tone and lived experience”.
This backlash stems from what Elizabeth Maxson, CMO of Contentful, terms “AI workslop,” the “generic, low-value messaging” that “dilutes brand identity and audience trust”.
Companies that rely too heavily on automation for creative output risk drowning in mediocrity. Lora Kratchounova, Principal at Scratch Marketing + Media, warns that companies trying to “save with AI” rather than using it to empower unique voices will “end up putting their feet in their mouths.” Consequently, “authenticity will be the new brand currency.” The winners of 2026 will be the brands that cut through the noise with “authentic insights, sans the BS,” creating a clear distinction between algorithmic filler and human value.
Trust as a Non-Negotiable Product Feature
As AI agents become “digital co-workers” and customer interfaces morph to look like “ChatGPT interfaces,” the “black box” nature of AI becomes a liability. Stefanie Beach, CEO of The Marketeer Group, asserts that “trust and transparency will become non-negotiable brand differentiators.” It is no longer enough to be efficient; brands must be provably safe.
This shifts privacy from a compliance hurdle to a core value proposition. Regina Ye, CEO of Topsort, notes that the future of monetization lies strictly in the “clean, transparent use of first-party data.” Similarly, Kalpak Shah of R Systems predicts that “Governed AI,” characterized by auditability and explainability, that will define “competitive advantage.” In 2026, a brand’s ability to explain why an AI agent made a decision will be just as important as the decision itself.
Emotional Intelligence: The New KPI
Perhaps the most profound shift is the move from transactional metrics to emotional ones. Ofir Krakowski, CEO of Deepdub, predicts that as voice agents replace text-based chatbots, “emotional intelligence will become a tangible KPI.” In a voice-first world, understanding tone, pacing, and cultural nuance is no longer a “nice-to-have,” it is a hard metric for success.
This demand for personality extends to every touchpoint. Joe Yetter, GM of PAR Engagement, argues that “the biggest loyalty wins won’t come from points or punch cards; they’ll come from personality”. Whether it is a digital interaction or a physical store becoming a “living, breathing brand moment” through sensory design, the goal is to create a psychological connection.
Even global expansion will require a hyper-human touch. Krakowski notes that “hyper-local CX” will be the standard, with customers expecting service that matches their specific “regional accents… and cultural cues”.
Summary
As you can see, these predictions present a clear and compelling paradox for the modern enterprise: the inexorable march toward automation on the backend must be met with a renewed and passionate commitment to the un-automatable on the frontend. The efficiency gains of the coming years will be defined by the widespread adoption of “autonomous agents” and “self-governing systems,” which will take over routine, complex, and data-intensive operational tasks. This new technological infrastructure will form the backbone of nearly every successful business.
However, the success of these operations hinges entirely on how human the customer and employee experience feels. As the systems behind the scenes become more mechanical, the brand experience, or the face of the company, must feel more human, intuitive, and empathetic than ever before. This is the crucial differentiator in a market saturated with automated efficiency.
The brands that thrive in this environment will be those that fundamentally re-architect their relationship with Artificial Intelligence. They will view AI not as a cost-cutting tool designed to replace human creativity, judgment, and emotional intelligence, but rather as the essential infrastructure, or the scaffolding and the engine, that allows these uniquely human traits to shine. AI will be the great enabler, freeing up human capital from the mundane to focus entirely on innovation, complex problem-solving, and building authentic connections.
As we move decisively toward 2026, the competitive landscape will shift. As critical as it is, technology becomes table stakes, merely the engine powering the machine. But it is authenticity, or the genuine, unscripted, and values-driven connection with the consumer, that truly serves as the necessary and precious fuel. Brands that neglect this human element, relying solely on automated efficiency, will find themselves operating a highly advanced engine that is, critically, running on empty.
