Exploring the Future of Experience-Led Growth in the Era of AI — Thoughts From Our First Experience Talks Event

As generative AI becomes increasingly democratized, how can brands differentiate through experience? It’s a question many of today’s organizations are asking — and it was also the main topic of Experience Talks: Exploring the Future of Experience-led Growth in the Era of AI.

A new thought leadership series and Adobe x Rightpoint collaboration, Experience Talks convenes marketing, technology, and experience leaders to explore the opportunity to differentiate from their competitors through experience. We cover the intersection of technology and AI, brand loyalty, profitable growth, and innovation in customer experience.

Our first event in New York was a huge success, highlighting the excitement and challenges we face in a pivotal technological era. Keynote speaker Donald Chesnut, chief experience officer at GM, offered actionable insights he’s gleaned from managing the rollout of an AI-powered platform, as well as from his years of experience helping teams create exceptional experiences across digital, human, and retail interactions.

Donald’s fascinating keynote sparked many table discussions amongst guests related to AI use cases, rollout strategies, and tips for helping people adapt through this era of change.

Here’s a recap of the key takeaways from the evening:

It’s good to talk!

Experience Talks brings together senior leaders from across a host of industries. They’re all at different stages of AI adoption, and they’re all open about what they know and what they don’t.

This unique setting emphasized the importance of dialogue — of sharing, learning, and leaning on each other as the next generation of work takes shape. As this diverse group of leaders asked questions, shared tips, and offered perspectives, we all came away feeling optimistic and enthusiastic about the future.

The journey to applied AI

Yes, the move towards applying AI is happening. But for many organizations, it currently takes place on a micro or team level, rather than at a grand scale. Workers are learning by doing, and many senior leaders see this as a win — after all, we have to start somewhere.

To reach the next level of scale, teams must find C-suite champions willing to push toward organization-wide adoption. Similarly, though AI governance is currently at a minimum, we’ll see that change over the next few years as brands apply AI on a broader scale and into deeper operations.

Fostering a culture of experimentation

Some of the most exciting AI applications have come about through experimentation. With that said, it’s vital for organizations to create a culture where people feel free to tinker, test, and learn from AI. Only then can teams truly capture the early value of this emerging technology. Teams should be encouraged to seek out opportunities to apply AI at scale, while also remaining hyper-conscious of regulatory compliance. It’s a tough balance to maintain, but the payoff will be well worth it in the end.

Total Experience = the path to differentiation

AI is levelling the playing field for brands of all sizes, meaning there are fewer opportunities for differentiation and competitive advantage. In this climate, experience becomes a huge opportunity to stand out in the crowd. The winners in the digital age will be those who most effectively orchestrate people, technology, and businesses to deliver a Total Experience.

Shaping the future, together

The debut of our Experience Talks series reminded me that there’s never been a better time for an ecosystem of partners and peers to come together and share insights, successes, and failures. We’re all here to help each other through this moment of change. Together, we can build a future where AI takes Total Experience to new heights. As our keynote speaker Donald put it, we can make experiences not just better — but brilliant.