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Artificial intelligence has become one of the defining conversations in customer communications. New tools appear almost daily, organisations are exploring new ways to automate interactions, and expectations around personalisation continue to rise.
As these technologies evolve, so do customer expectations. Businesses have access to more sophisticated communication tools than ever before, creating opportunities to build stronger relationships, respond more quickly and continuously improve the customer experience.
To explore where the industry is heading, we spoke to João Castro, Senior Developer at MBA Group. Working at the forefront of product development gives him a unique perspective on how technology is changing customer communications, how development teams are adapting, and what organisations should be thinking about over the next few years.
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For João, the biggest technological shift of the last few years is clear.
“AI has to be at the top of the list,” he says.
“Just three years ago, all communications were deterministic: everyone knew that the message being passed had, at some point, been written and reviewed by someone. We knew that in most cases it was produced by a human, so our trust levels were probably higher.”
Today, AI-generated content has become commonplace across customer journeys. Organisations are experimenting with new ways to create content, answer questions and support customers at scale, while customers are becoming increasingly aware that many of the messages they receive are no longer written solely by people.
“Now we have ‘slop’ being produced, frustration from end users who can’t reach a human, distrust in the messages received, and uncertainty about who, or what, is on the other side.”
For João, this creates a significant opportunity for organisations that invest in thoughtful, well-designed communications.
“But that trust deficit is also the opportunity: the businesses that get communication right in the AI era will stand out more than ever.”
As AI becomes more widely adopted, trust, transparency and clarity are becoming increasingly valuable qualities within every customer interaction.
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When conversations turn to disconnected customer experiences, it’s often assumed that technology is the limiting factor. João believes the picture is more nuanced.
“I reckon the biggest gap lies in the sociological patterns within our organisations, not in the tech.”
The pace of innovation means platforms are continually becoming more capable.
“Technology is constantly evolving and sometimes goes beyond our creativity. The core challenge is how we and our organisations are set up around the software.”
He references Conway’s Law, the principle that systems often reflect the communication structures of the organisations that create them.
“That’s why customers get three different, disconnected messages from the same company: three teams, three systems, no shared conversation.”
Bringing customer communications together often starts with collaboration between teams, shared objectives and connected ways of working. When organisations work together internally, customers experience greater consistency externally.
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João believes AI is changing both how software is built and how organisations communicate with customers.
“The space is heading toward machines handling the volume, so the differentiator becomes the human moments.”
He’s seen this shift first-hand within development teams.
“Before, when bringing a problem to the team, we would spend too much time talking about fuzzy requirements, assumptions and what-ifs.”
Today, AI helps accelerate those early conversations.
“By bringing AI into the game, we can quickly reason, make some assumptions, create a prototype, and then bring something tangible to the team for a meaningful discussion, with everyone challenging the design and architecture instead of debating what problem we’re even solving.”
João believes customer communications will increasingly follow the same approach.
“It’s the same shift I reckon customer communications is going through: cut the fuzzy discussion short, deliver something tangible, and iterate on the results.”
“Keep focusing on individuals and real human interaction. Use the mind space you save to bring your customers, and the people you care about, closer.”
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João believes this approach will become increasingly common over the coming years.
“Prepare for faster feedback loops.”
“Businesses will start iterating on how they talk to their customers the same way software teams iterate on their products today. Ship something, learn from the reaction, adjust, repeat.”
He also sees today’s AI landscape as only the beginning of a much longer journey.
“We are still in the early stages of the AI revolution: the businesses that adopt early and stay aware have the privilege of taking the steering wheel and influencing what the Age of AI will look like, instead of having it shaped for them.”
As organisations continue exploring AI, many will develop new ways of combining technology with creativity, customer insight and collaboration.
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For João, one of the most exciting developments is the way emerging technologies are changing how products are built.
“What excites me most is how we use all this technology to shorten our delivery cycles.”
He explains that the real value comes from getting ideas into users’ hands sooner and learning alongside them.
He expects customer communications to continue following the same direction, with organisations continuously improving experiences through regular learning and refinement.
João is already applying many of these ideas in a project currently underway at MBA Group.
“And honestly, I’m working on something right now that puts all of these ideas into practice. I can’t share the details yet, but it’s a project I genuinely can’t wait to talk about.”
While the details remain under wraps for now, the themes are clear. Customer communications are becoming more adaptive, more collaborative and more responsive to changing customer needs. Organisations that keep learning and earn customer trust by connecting their systems and teams are likely to be better prepared for what comes next in customer engagement.
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