In the era of AI, technology is no longer an advantage. Those who users trust will win

Artificial intelligence democratizes access to tools that until recently were reserved for the world’s largest organizations. Today, a startup can use AI-based solutions at almost the same level as an international corporation. Automation, data analysis, personalization and software development are becoming more and more available and cheaper.

This is good news for entrepreneurs, but at the same time it means that technology itself is no longer a sustainable source of competitive advantage. As access to AI becomes widespread, the winners are not those who have the best tools, but those who can build the most trust.

It is trust that is becoming the most valuable currency of the digital economy today. This is confirmed by the report’s results “Trust in Digital Commerce”prepared by G2A.COM, the world’s largest digital entertainment marketplace serving 35 million users in 180 countries, in cooperation with Juniper Research. The survey conducted among 9,000 consumers from nine countries shows that digital commerce is entering a new stage of development – a stage in which security is no longer just an element of technological infrastructure and becomes one of the most important business factors.

The scale of the challenges is significant. Every third respondent declares that he has been a victim of online fraud. At the same time, half of the respondents expect that the responsibility for transaction security will rest primarily with digital platforms. Only one in five believes that it is mainly their own responsibility.

This clearly shows the change in consumer expectations. Today, users buy more than just a product or service. They also buy a sense of security. They expect that the platform will be able to detect the threat, respond to a fraud attempt and effectively solve the problem if it occurs. Security is becoming an integral part of the customer experience – as important as price, convenience and speed of transaction execution.

This also means a change in the role of digital platforms. They are no longer just a place for transactions. They increasingly act as institutions of trust from which users expect transparency, responsibility and effective protection.

The importance of these competencies will only increase as the next phase of artificial intelligence develops. More and more often we are no longer talking about AI as a tool supporting the user, but about… agent commerce – a model in which intelligent agents will independently search for products, compare offers, recommend solutions and even finalize purchases. This is a huge change. This means that trust will have to be gained not only by the seller himself, but also by the algorithm that makes decisions on behalf of the user.

Interestingly, consumers approach this with great caution. Our research shows that about 30 percent respondents would be ready to entrust AI with shopping. However, most still want to retain control over the final decision. This shows that the future will not be about replacing humans with artificial intelligence, but about building trust in technology that will support their decisions.

This is an important lesson for entrepreneurs as well. In a world where it is increasingly easier to buy access to technology, it will be increasingly difficult to build an advantage solely through AI. Success will be determined by the quality of the organization, the culture of responsibility, the ability to quickly respond to threats and consistently built customer trust.

Paradoxically, the era of artificial intelligence may turn out to be the moment when traditional human values ​​- credibility, responsibility and transparency – will become the most valuable business resource. The technology will be available to everyone. Trust doesn’t.

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Author: Bartosz Skwarczek