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Executives like to say they are integrating AI. But most still treat artificial intelligence as a feature, not a foundation: they add a chatbot here, an automated report there, and call it transformation. Thats the same mistake companies made in the early days of the web: building websites as brochures instead of re-thinking their business models around digital interaction. AI is not a feature. Its an architectural layer that will reshape every workflow, decision, and product. Those who treat it as decoration will fade, those who treat it as structure will lead. From automation to agency As product strategist Connor Davis noted, every great company will soon have an agentic layer, a system that not only automates tasks but also orchestrates them across functions. The distinction is crucial. Automation is about efficiency: doing existing tasks faster or cheaper. Agency is about delegation: letting the system make decisions, coordinate actions, and even manage other software on your behalf. Think of it as moving from tools that execute commands to assistants that understand context. The leap is subtle but profound. When a finance team uses an LLM to summarize quarterly reports, thats automation. When the same system proactively flags anomalies, adjusts forecasts, and alerts the CFO with recommendations, thats agency. Companies that understand this shift are already reorganizing around it. They are not adding AI to workflows: they are building workflows around AI. What an AI-first roadmap really means To be AI-first doesnt mean using the latest model or adding generative features. It means designing products and processes that assume continuous intelligence at their core. Andrew Bolis captured this well: AI will become the orchestration layer across every SaaS tool. Instead of humans jumping between apps, agents will execute intent across systems. Thats the future of enterprise software. Todays SaaS stack forces humans to be the middleware: copying data between CRMs, spreadsheets, and dashboards. Tomorrows agentic layer will do that work automatically, turning enterprise systems from silos into a single, adaptive organisms. And heres no less than a biologist telling you so, and a few years in advance. This evolution mirrors what happened when APIs transformed the web. At first, companies built isolated web apps: then APIs connected them. Now AI agents will do the connecting and the deciding too. The three pillars of an AI-first architecture From what were seeing across industries, AI-first organizations share three foundational traits: A data substrate, not a data warehouse Traditional data systems store information; AI-first systems understand it. That means building contextual layers, from embeddings, to knowledge graphs and retrieval systems) that make data retrievable in natural language and usable in real time. A semantic interface If your team still clicks through dashboards, youre behind. The AI-first enterprise interacts through language: voice, text, or context-aware prompts. The interface becomes conversational because the workflow becomes cognitive. An agentic layerEvery AI-first company needs an orchestration layer that can act autonomously within defined boundaries. Agents handle not just information retrieval but task execution, generating code, scheduling, procurement, customer response, and compliance checks. The challenge isnt whether they work: its how much you trust them to decide. The cultural reset executives must lead This is not a technical project: its a cultural one. Building an AI-first organization requires leaders to unlearn decades of linear thinking about processes and hierarchy. The question is no longer how can technology support our employees, but how can employees supervise technology that works alongside them. The manager of the near future wont just oversee people: theyll coordinate agents. Executives who think in terms of software adoption will miss this entirely. The right question isnt which vendors AI tool to buy , but which decisions youre ready to delegate to a machine. That shift demands a new kind of governance: clear ethical boundaries, data transparency, and oversight mechanisms that ensure AI recommendations remain auditable and explainable. Companies that fail to define those boundaries early will end up with AI that works but works for the wrong goals. The new competitive advantage The competitive edge in the AI era wont come from access to the biggest model or most GPUs. It will come from organizational adaptability, or the ability to incorporate AI decision-making without losing accountability. In every industry, a similar pattern will emerge: the incumbents will integrate AI as a feature, the challengers will rebuild their stack around it. The difference will show up in speed: companies that treat AI as infrastructure will compress decision cycles from weeks to hours. Those that dont will move at human speed while their competitors move at machine speed. But dont confuse velocity with chaos. The best AI-first companies arent automating indiscriminately: theyre orchestrating intelligently. They design human-in-the-loop architectures where humans remain the moral and strategic governors, and AI handles execution at scale. Building the agentic future responsibly The temptation, of course, is to delegate everything. After all, if agents can optimize marketing spend, supply chains, and code deployment, why not let them? The reason is simple: trust is earned, not automated. AI agents must be auditable: their decisions explainable and reversible. Without that, an organization risks the black box syndrome that has already plagued large-scale AI deployments. Ive written before about this risk in Fast Company: when you build on systems you dont understand, you surrender control. Agentic systems make that surrender seductive. They dont crash, they comply. And thats precisely why theyre dangerous if left unsupervised. Remember the paperclip maximizer Practical steps for executives For leaders beginning their AI-first journey, heres a roadmap: Start with one value chain Pick a process with measurable outcomes such as customer service, logistics, or internal reporting, and prototype an agentic version. Dont start with chatbots, start with impact. Form an AI governance board Blend technical and ethical oversight early. Youll need both to scale safely. Invest in retraining Your teams dont need prompt engineers: they need problem-framers who understand what can and cant be delegated. Keep data open inside the enterprise AI thrives on accessibility, not silos. Build policies for responsible internal sharing. Measure decision latency, not output volume The real gain from AI-first design isnt producing more: its deciding faster. From feature to foundation AI is no longer the icing on the product: its the yeast in the dough. It changes everything from the inside out. Companies that understand this will design architectures where agents and humans collaborate seamlessly, data flows freely, and decisions happen in real time. Those that dont will keep bolting AI onto outdated systems and wondering why nothing truly changes. The agentic future isnt coming: its already here. The only question left is whether your company is ready to stop piloting and start delegating.
Category:
E-Commerce
A lifelong Manchester City fan stands in front of a 3D virtual avatar of the teams star player, Erling Haaland, at an EA Sports FC prelaunch event. Towering and lifelike, the avatars every grin, gesture, and movement is perfectly synced to Haaland himself. The fan plays, interacts, and even shares a laugh during a spontaneous dance battle with the digital Haaland in real time. For a few electrifying moments, its as if their football hero has come to life in front of their eyes, blurring the line between reality, fandom, and technology. This isnt a far-off sci-fi scenario; it already happened. 3D digital avatars are starting to transform how humans connect in virtual spaces, offering a level of immediacy, responsiveness, and personalization that was once impossible. For brands, this represents a massive opportunity to engage audiences in ways that feel human, scalable, and alive. The shift is already underway According to Gartner, 54% of brands are using some form of chatbot or conversational AI platform for customer-facing interactions. But while 2D avatars and text-based chatbots have paved the way, 3D digital avatars are poised to take this evolution to the next level. With advancements in AI, real-time animation, and emotional modeling, brands can now create avatars that move, react, and even emote like humans, making digital encounters feel as authentic as real ones. And audiences are ready. Gen Z, in particular, is primed for animated interactions. Nearly half (48%) of this generation prefers animation to live-action, and adults aged 18 to 34 are now the biggest fans of animated content. From Roblox to VTubers, the language of animation has become the language of self-expression. For a generation that socializes online and personalizes digital avatars, interacting with 3D animated identities feels naturalan extension of how they already live and connect. The opportunity for brands The challenge for brands has always been how to create meaningful connections at scale. Brand ambassadors are one way, but talent isnt scalable. A celebrity ambassador cant record personal videos for every fan, and a top athlete cant be in three cities at once. 3D digital avatars are changing the equation. With real-time animation tools and AI modeling, brands can create content that feels live-action in quality but is lightning-fast to produce. This allows brands to be reactive, spontaneous, and human, without waiting for a shoot day or a gap in a busy brand ambassadors schedule. Picture Shaquille ONeals digital twin welcoming customers to multiple Home Depot events simultaneously, each interaction tailored to the audience; Lionel Messis 3D avatar hosting a live Q&A with fans after a big game; or Wendys iconic mascot bantering with fans in real time, trained on years of the brands famously sassy tweets. Why just use words on X when you can connect visually in real time? Why 3D digital avatars feel real A common question is, how can a digital avatar feel “real?” The answer lies in expressiveness. The difference between a 3D character and a 3D avatar is emotion. Characters like the M&Ms mascots communicate through jokes and dialogue. Avatars, on the other hand, mirror the subtlety of human interactionan idiosyncratic smirk, a pause, or a glance that creates genuine emotional resonance. Early prototypes already show how users can pose questions to a digital avatar and receive individualized, emotionally attuned responses. This glimpse into avatar-based interaction hints at transformative potential, not just in marketing but in education, customer service, and healthcare. Imagine a child preparing for intensive medical treatment, comforted by a 3D animated character that brings warmth and understanding to the daunting journey ahead. Pediatric personas would be able to respond to the childs questions and concerns in a calm, reassuring manner, reaching them in the familiar environment of their own home. Building empathy into the system To make avatars feel authentic, AI models are trained on everything from a persons interviews to their mannerisms and speech patterns. If someone has a signature laugh, gesture, or way of speaking, the avatar learns it too. This ensures interactions feel personal, not mass-produced. What excites me most is the scalability of empathy. Two people can have completely different, yet equally real, experiences with the same avatar, each interaction tailored to their interests, questions, and emotional tone. This level of personalization is a game changer for brands looking to deepen their connection with audiences. How brands can get ahead now Technically, this ecosystem relies on real-time animation engines like Unreal, AI-driven facial and voice modeling, and cloud-based data storage. The human layer is just as critical. This isnt plug-and-play software; it takes creative producers, animators, and AI engineers to make an avatar feel alive. For brands to truly own this technology, theyll need to find experienced partners or build small internal avatar studios that blend storytelling with tech fluency. Its an investment in people as much as in infrastructure. If youre a brand leader, heres how to prepare for this shift: Identify your expressive assets. Who in your ecosystemmascots, ambassadors, talentbest represents your brands values and story? Start gathering inputs. Video, voice, and movement data are the raw materials that power authenticity. Establish creative guardrails. Set clear boundaries for what your avatar can and cant do, ensuring alignment with your brand values. Build hybrid teams. Youll need a mix of creativity and AI literacy to bring avatars to life. Experiment. Start small. Let an avatar greet fans, appear at an event, or respond to a limited set of questions. The goal is to learn how people connect. The next phase of human connection To understand where this space is headed, consider how far virtual representation has already come. When I played Madden NFL in college, the players were pixels. Today, they look like real athletes. In two years, our digital avatars could look and sound exactly like us, in 3D, and be fully trained to interact on our behalf. The next frontier of digital experience isnt about technology aloneits about emotional presence. Brands that learn to speak this new language of presence have a distinct advantage.
Category:
E-Commerce
If you are reading this from outside the U.S., you may have already seen the videos. Clouds rolling over the Grand Canyon. Kids screaming down roller coasters. Snowboarders gliding through white forests. America’s latest tourism campaign, America the Beautiful, is out, and it is selling the American dream. But will tourists buy it? According to a May 2025 report from the World Travel and Tourism Council, international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169 billion in 2025, down from $181 billion in 2024. Even in 2024, 90% of all tourism spending came from domestic travel, while international travel dipped from many of the countrys key source markets, including the U.K, Germany, South Korea, Spain, Ireland, and the Dominican Republic. The country’s national tourism marketing agency, Brand USA, developed “America the Beautiful” to rebuild confidence in these shrinking markets. The campaign glows with idealism and nostalgia for the great outdoors, the great American road trip, and majestic landscapes that pulse with life in spite of their sovereign’s attempts to turn large swaths of it over to fracking. By choosing a title that is associated with an 1890s poem that has become one of America’s most patriotic songs, Brand USA seems to want tourists to forget about the country’s present issues and travel back to a time, or a place, where patriotism didn’t so often manifest as nationalism. [Image: Brand USA] A campaign with high stakes “America the Beautiful,” first announced in June, launched on October 20months after Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” tax and spending law slashed Brand USA’s federal funding by a staggering 80%. (Travel lobbyists are now fighting with Congress to restore the budget.) The agency laid off 15% of its staff in September, and shut down its ad-supported streaming service GoUSATV, which promoted inbound tourism. By undercutting a national tourism marketing agency that promotes the U.S. internationally, Trump ostensibly flipped the finger to global visitors, reflecting, instead, his America-first priorities. But America needs international tourism. International visitors contributed just over $217 billion in revenue in 2019, supporting nearly 18 million jobs nationwide. The tourism sector more broadly is also a reliable driver of federal, state, and local tax revenue, contributing more than $585 billion annually. The stakes for “America the Beautiful” are high. [Image: Brand USA] The fall of the American Brand Next year will be a big year for the United States. Between America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 World Cup that will take place across 11 U.S. cities, and the Route 66 centennial, the country is poised for celebration on many fronts. “America the Beautiful” was timed to boost tourism ahead of those big events. Brand USA partnered with AI-powered software Mindtrip, which offers interactive maps and custom itineraries. They also created various video spots highlighting “America the Brave” and “America the Big Hearted.” [Image: Brand USA] “We’re not asking people to simply visit America; we’re inviting them to feel it, taste it, and carry home experiences that become core memories, Leah Chandler, Brand USA’s chief marketing officer, said in a recent press release. What if not enough people don’t want what America has to offer? “My view is that advertising campaigns are useless at persuading people to change their minds about countries,” says Simon Anholt, a leading researcher and advisor on nation brands and national image. “You cant talk yourself out of an image that you behaved yourself into.” According to the 2025 Anholt Nation Brands Index, a systematic survey of international perceptions of countries, the United States has dropped out of the top ten for the first time in 19 years. After topping the index in both 2005 and 2016, the U.S. fell from 1st to 7th place following Trump’s election in 2016. After his re-election in 2025, the U.S. has dropped to what Anholt calls an “unprecedented” 14th place. (Japan and Germany remain at the top of the list.) The fall isn’t just about perception. Anholt says there is a “more than 80% correlation” between a countrys score in the Nation Brands Index and the amount of money it makes from tourism, foreign investment and trade. The exact breakdown remains unclear, “but its a certainty that when image declines, visits decline too,” he says. [Image: Brand USA] Politics or pleasure? Whether some tourists are able to separate the political from the pleasurable will depend on who you ask. For Tom Buncle, the former chief executive of the Scottish Tourist Board and a tourism consultant who helps destinations improve their global competitiveness, the U.S. remains an appealing destination despite geopolitical tensions. “Regardless of all the issues, California is still going to have amazing beaches, Arizona is going to have amazing deserts, Florida is going to have amazing surfing, Colorado is going to have great mountains,” he told me. “Politics aren’t going to change that.” Buncle agrees that many challenges are hard to ignore: Some tourists have said they are afraid to visit for fear of being turned away at the border. Others worry about visa restrictions and higher visa fees. “But as I keep saying, our countries, our cultures, our landscape is bigger than all of us,” says Buncle. “It’s been there for centuries, it’s going to outlast all of us.” Anholt is less optimistic. He brings up the “halo effect,” namely when people start to dislike a countrys policies so much that they unconsciously downgrade many other unconnected aspects of the country. If tourists still want to like America, they’ll overlook the bad stuff. If they no longer want to like America, they might pick another travel destination. “Once they’ve flipped, they tend to stay flipped,” he says. And if enough people stay flipped, he adds, it will be “the beginning of payback time for America First.” [Image: Brand USA] Repairing the image Brand USA, which declined an interview, is aware of the challenges. “So what’s our assignment? At this moment, the U.S. travel industry needs a rallying cry,” Leah Chandler told Travel Weekly in July. “We know that international audiences still love many things about the U.S. and are connected to the people through our culture and our stories. And while right now might not feel like it’s the right time for some, there are others who have the means and desire to visit the United States, and those people will prioritize a visit here.” As an American resident (admittedly, not the target demo) I can’t help but cringe at the tone-deafness of the campaign. On the one hand is an agency promoting “connection,” “boundless adventures,” and the kind of open-armed welcome that has made what America is today. On the other hand is a president who has willfully stoked violence, torpedoed America’s global standing, and slashed refugee allotment (unless they’re white). The dissonance is deafening, and it likely won’t be lost to those who get their news abroad. But perhaps there’s room for hope beyond the cynicism. “Yes, the global news is coming out with not a very pretty picture, but [there is value in] reminding people that the real USA is still there for them to visit to enjoy,” says Buncle. Even if reality is dark, shining a light on the brightest spots doesn’t have to be false advertising. It could be an attempt at repair. Americans deserve that.
Category:
E-Commerce
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