Generative AI and the Future of Consumer Engagement











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Generative AI and the Future of Consumer Engagement









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Shaji Obeidulla

Principal Consultant

Meet Shaji


Shaji is an accomplished AI and customer experience leader with over 20 years of experience transforming data into business value. Shaji’s career began in data science, and since then he’s led AI and analytics programs across industries; from designing AI agents that reinvent how people and customers interact, to building an AI Centre of Excellence for a global insurer. His work combines deep technical expertise with a practical focus on measurable outcomes and human impact.

Shaji Obeidulla

Principal Consultant

Meet Shaji


Shaji is an accomplished AI and customer experience leader with over 20 years of experience transforming data into business value. Shaji’s career began in data science, and since then he’s led AI and analytics programs across industries; from designing AI agents that reinvent how people and customers interact, to building an AI Centre of Excellence for a global insurer. His work combines deep technical expertise with a practical focus on measurable outcomes and human impact.

Generative AI (Gen-AI) is not just another technological trend, it’s a seismic shift in how people access, engage with and trust online content. With new AI models and features launching constantly, the implications for consumers and brands are significant. Understanding how Gen-AI is changing digital behaviour is essential for businesses looking to stay ahead of competitors.

Generative AI (Gen-AI) is not just another technological trend, it’s a seismic shift in how people access, engage with and trust online content. With new AI models and features launching constantly, the implications for consumers and brands are significant. Understanding how Gen-AI is changing digital behaviour is essential for businesses looking to stay ahead of competitors.

The Changing Consumer Landscape

Since the early days of the internet, search engines have guided users to the content they were after. For decades, Google dominated the global search market. But that dominance is starting to erode. Consumers are increasingly turning to Gen-AI tools such as ChatGPT, which offer direct, synthesised AI summaries rather than a list of search results.


According to McKinsey, this shift could reduce traditional search traffic by 20% to 50% in the coming years.* This transformation has significant implications for marketing strategies. As consumers click through to fewer websites, media budgets will likely pivot away from traditional paid search toward channels where engagement remains high, such as connected TV, retail media and social media platforms.


However, this evolution comes with an added layer of complexity when it comes to trust. While consumers are eager to adopt AI-powered tools, they remain skeptical about how transparent businesses will be on their AI use.** As image and video generation tools like Veo 3 and Sora 2 become increasingly realistic, the line between real and synthetic content blurs. The result is a growing need for authenticity. Trust and transparency will become the new differentiators for brands in the age of AI-powered media.

The Brand Response

As consumers spend less time browsing websites and more time interacting with AI systems, the traditional digital marketing playbook is being rewritten. Instead of optimising content solely for humans, brands must now consider how Gen-AI tools interpret and present their information. This may mean simplifying website structures, using clear language, and improving metadata so AI systems can easily “understand” and accurately represent brand content.


Many businesses are already embracing Gen-AI internally to accelerate content creation, automate marketing workflows, and uplift personalisation. Yet, this newfound efficiency brings new challenges. Leaning too heavily on automation risks diluting a brand’s creativity and distinctiveness. Over-reliance on AI-generated content can make brands sound the same, stripping away the personality that makes them memorable.


To mitigate these risks, brands must integrate human oversight at critical checkpoints. Experts review AI-generated outputs, to ensure it remains aligned with brand tone, style and compliance standards. Brands need to clearly communicate when and how AI is used, ensuring fairness, avoiding bias and maintaining consumer confidence.

Building Future-Ready Teams

Adapting to the Gen-AI era isn’t just about data and technology, it’s about people. The next generation of marketers will need hybrid skill sets that combine creativity with technical fluency. Understanding prompting techniques, model behaviour, and AI governance will be as critical as mastering storytelling and brand strategy.


Businesses that foster this blend of creative and analytical skills will be best positioned to experiment, learn, and pivot quickly as the technology and consumer expectations continue to evolve. Roles that merge marketing, customer experience (CX), and AI operations will become more prevalent, creating more agile and cross-functional teams.