Dentsu: How AI Is Changing the Relationship Between People and Brands
Dentsu’s new Consumer Vision Report analyzes, based on more than 30,000 interviews, how artificial intelligence is changing the relationship between people and brands—and which four future trends will shape the coming years.
AI and Brand Trust Take Center Stage in a Global Study on the Future
How is artificial intelligence changing the relationship between people and brands? What role do originality, trust, and personal growth play in an increasingly automated world? The new Dentsu Consumer Vision Report, «Mothers of Reinvention,» provides answers to these questions. The topic of AI and brand trust is at the heart of a global assessment based on more than 30,000 consumer interviews as well as insights from experts in the fields of technology, culture, and society. The study aims to provide companies with guidance for the coming years and to highlight key changes early on.
Four Future Forces as a Framework for Guidance
The report identifies four key future drivers that, according to Dentsu, will have a significant impact on social and economic change.
The first force, «Symbiotic Systems,» describes how technology is evolving from a tool into an intelligent companion. AI agents are expected to increasingly take on tasks independently, prepare decisions, and support people in their daily lives. As a result, the relationship between people and technology will become closer and more collaborative—with new demands for transparency, trust, and control.
The second force, «Ingenuity Awakened,» focuses on culture: The more easily AI can generate content, ideas, and creative works, the more human originality, creativity, and authenticity gain in importance. In a world of unlimited content, individual perspectives, cultural relevance, and genuine human creativity would become key differentiators.
Under the heading «Infinite Reinvention,» the report summarizes how people will shape their identities, skills, and life paths more flexibly in the future than ever before. New technologies make it possible to learn faster, develop professionally and personally, and pursue individual goals. Consumers therefore increasingly expect support in their ongoing personal development and reinvention.
The fourth force, «Wayfinder Brands,» describes an expansion of the brand’s role: from a mere provider of products and services to a guiding partner. Consumers expect companies to provide not only relevant offerings, but also inspiration, guidance, and credible values. Successful brands will be those that help people make better decisions and achieve their long-term goals.
High Expectations for AI and Brand Trust
A key finding of the study: Consumers increasingly view AI as a partner in personal development. According to the report, 70 percent believe that AI will help unlock human potential. At the same time, 88 percent of respondents believe that true creativity will become even more important in the future.
Expectations for brands are particularly high in this regard: 87 percent say that brands will be especially memorable if they inspire people and support their personal growth. The demand for consistency is even more pronounced: 91 percent expect a consistent alignment between a brand’s values and its actual actions—a clear signal that credibility is becoming a core competency for brands.
The «Mothers of Reinvention» Consumer Vision Report is available at https://www.dentsu.com retrievable.
