How does marketing adapt when AI gives your product a personality?

Product AI personas may soon be your new brand. Once predictive, agentic artificial intelligence accompanies everyday products, the best marketers will seize this change for better engagement and growth.

In brief

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is powering a shift in marketing: Consumers will increasingly begin to interact with products that act as active participants in their lives.
• Marketers must harness advanced personalization and redefine storytelling by developing compelling AI personas that engage customers emotionally.
• Companies must establish ethical frameworks, reimagine their organizations and envision their brands’ AI presence to foster meaningful connections.

While generative AI has been stealing the spotlight, the real evolution will be a shift from merely “smart” products to products that are, in a sense, sentient. The integration of predictive and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) — AI that is designed to act autonomously and proactively in pursuit of goals — into everyday items is poised to redefine the consumer experience. This infusion blurs the lines between product, service and companion. This isn’t just about incremental improvements; it’s about a fundamental shift in how we interact with the world around us. Are marketing executives ready? Here are three key shifts to consider:

2. Continuous personalization

Agentic AI allows for a level of personalization that was once unimaginable. Think of a car that anticipates your needs before you even know them, adjusting the temperature, music and driving settings based on your mood and schedule. How about a skincare product that connects you to a beauty AI agent, analyzing your skin in real time and creating customized formulations to achieve your desired results? This level of personalization creates an incredibly intimate brand experience that moves far beyond mass media and performance marketing. For marketers, this means understanding not just demographics, but individual psychographics, behaviors and even real-time emotional states. Data analysis will become even more critical, and the ability to adapt marketing messages in real time will be essential.

3. Redefining brand storytelling

With AI-infused products, the product itself becomes a storyteller. Picture eyewear that connects you to a travel AI agent that can translate languages in real time, curate local experiences based on your interests and offer historical context as you explore a new city. The product’s AI agent becomes an extension of the brand, embodying its values and personality. This changes the very nature of branding. Marketing will need to focus on developing compelling AI personas that resonate with consumers, crafting narratives that unfold over time through the user’s interactions with the product. The creation of these personas will require new levels of collaboration across the marketing, engineering and product teams that most organizations are not wired to achieve today. New operating models will be required. In this new era, brand loyalty will be tied to the strength of these AI-driven relationships. It won’t be just about what the brand says, but what the product does and experiences with the consumer.

Prepare for the sentient future today

This future may seem distant, but the seeds are being sown now. In addition to building internal AI skills, strengthening data foundations and conducting early experimentation, brands should:

1. Develop an AI ethics framework now: As products become more sentient and intertwined with consumers’ lives, ethical considerations become paramount. Don’t wait for regulations to dictate your approach. Begin developing a robust ethical framework that guides your AI development, addressing issues of bias, privacy, transparency and accountability. This framework should not be a static document but a living set of principles that evolves with the technology and societal expectations. This demonstrates foresight and builds trust with consumers who are increasingly aware of the ethical implications of AI.
2. Reimagine your organizational structure: The integration of agentic AI will likely require a shift from siloed departments to more fluid, interdisciplinary teams. Consider how your marketing, product development, customer service and even legal teams will need to collaborate to manage the lifecycle of sentient products. Are you prepared for a future where the lines between these departments blur, demanding a new kind of organizational agility? Begin planning for this organizational evolution today.
3. Start envisioning the “AI persona” of your brand: Your AI agents will be the face of your brand in this new era. Begin thinking deeply about the personality, values and voice of these AI companions. How will they embody your brand ethos? How will they interact with consumers on an emotional level? This goes beyond simple chatbot programming; it’s about creating a consistent and engaging brand experience through the persona of your AI. Start defining the “soul” of your brand’s AI presence today.