Businesses risk losing human connection in the race for AI, warns expert!

As companies rush to adopt AI-driven marketing systems and customer service, a new book warns that organisations risk losing sight of the most important factor in business success: people.

Businesses are embracing AI faster than ever before but not always with full understanding of what it means. Today, 67% of SMEs use AI in their marketing (Semrush), and 60% of marketers rely on it daily (Social Media Examiner). For 83% of companies, AI is now a top priority (Exploding Topics), with 78% already using it somewhere in their business (McKinsey). Among digital marketers, that figure rises to 88% (SEO.com). Despite this rapid adoption, more than a third of non-users say they simply don’t understand how AI works (Semrush). With 92% of businesses planning to invest in generative AI over the next three years (McKinsey), organisations face a growing challenge: how to harness the power of AI without weakening the human connections that drive trust and loyalty.

Meanwhile, customers remain sceptical about the growing use of AI in customer service. According to research from Gartner, 64% of customers say they would prefer companies not to use AI for customer service, while 53% say they would consider switching brands if they discovered AI was handling their interactions.

In Customer Experience Thinking, marketing strategist Si Elliott argues that modern organisations have become obsessed with metrics, automation and scale, while overlooking the psychological drivers that shape how customers actually think, feel and make decisions.

As co-owner of creative agency Diversity and founder of customer experience consultancy Fabricx, Elliott combines behavioural science with real-world insight. The result is a practical guide for business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs who want to build stronger relationships with their customers in a world dominated by data and digital platforms.

“Customer experience is the perception and feelings a person has from the interactions and experiences they have with a product, brand or business,” Elliott explains. “But the ‘thinking’ behind that experience is just as important. It’s about understanding how people process information, what drives behaviour and how organisations should design experiences around that.”

“One of the biggest concerns customers have about AI in marketing and customer service is that it will make it harder to reach a real person. Brands need to work harder than ever to strengthen rather than weaken human connection with their customers.”

The book also examines how emerging technologies such as AI are reshaping expectations around speed, convenience and interaction.

“AI has the potential to transform how businesses operate,” Elliott says. “But if we allow technology to dictate the experience entirely, we risk creating a world where people are serving the systems rather than the other way around.”

The new book, released internationally in hardback and digital formats on 21 May 2026, explores the psychological drivers that shape everyday decisions, including the behavioural biases that influence how customers engage with brands. Elliott explains that without understanding these deeper forces, organisations risk designing systems that serve technology rather than people.

One of the central themes of the book is the growing tension between efficiency and human connection in the digital economy.

“Businesses are increasingly driven by metrics, platforms and performance data,” Elliott says. “But behind every click, impression and conversion is a person. When we forget that, experiences quickly become transactional rather than meaningful.”

Through a blend of behavioural science and practical business insight, Customer Experience Thinking explores:
Why customers don’t always behave logically
How emotion shapes loyalty and trust
Why simplicity is one of the most powerful tools in experience design
How organisations can balance automation with genuine human interaction

Elliott believes the organisations that succeed in the next decade will be those that combine technological innovation with a deeper understanding of human behaviour. Ultimately, Elliott argues that businesses must shift their focus away from purely measuring performance and towards understanding human behaviour. “Great customer experience doesn’t happen by accident,” he says. “It’s designed through thousands of small moments that shape how people feel.”

Customer Experience Thinking blends behavioural science with practical insight, offering leaders a new way to think about how organisations connect with the people they serve.