Devices shape CX. And new devices are coming.

The mediums of our communication shape our public discourse.

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas squared off in Illinois for a Senate race debate. Douglas spoke first and had 60 minutes to make a full, thoughtful argument. Lincoln then had 90 minutes to make a counterargument. And Douglas had a 30-minute rebuttal.

Now compare that long-form debate to what we have today. In the most recent presidential debate, candidates had two minutes to answer a question and one minute for rebuttals. And in the current Republican Primary debates, the candidates have one minute to answer a question, and 30 seconds for rebuttals.

What has caused our political discourse to change from long-form, thoughtful discussions to short punchlines? ?In 1985, Neil Postman argued in his book “Amusing Ourselves to Death” that public discourse is shaped by the mediums through which it’s delivered. He cataloged the change in political discourse that occurred as we transitioned from print, to radio, and then to television. Today’s political discourse is designed to be consumed through social media clips.

As Neil Postman put it, “The medium is the message.”

How mediums of communication shape customer support.

In customer support, the medium of communication defines the contours of the conversation. Here’s an obvious example. If a customer’s sole option of customer support is to send an email, the customer will be required to explain the issue in writing. And the customer will know at the time of writing the email that it may be hours, or even days, before the company responds.

Now compare that to a live voice phone call between a customer and an agent. Once connected, the customer can quickly explain the issue and receive an immediate response. The two individuals can also interpret and respond to emotional cues that would be absent in written communication.

Clearly, from the customer’s perspective, the medium is the experience.

New mediums are approaching.

OpenAI’s Sam Altman is discussing the development of an A.I. device with Jony Ive, with funding from SoftBank. If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Ive, he’s the prolific designer behind some of some the most beloved devices made by Apple.

So what might these future devices look like? And how will they impact customer experience?

Sam Altman recently said that he has “no interest in trying to compete with a smartphone.” And that his ideas are “at the very nascent stage.” But there may be clues to glean from Sam Altman’s investment in the company Humane.

Here’s a TED Talk by Humane’s president, Imran Chaudhri (another Apple design veteran) providing a demo of how Humane works:

?This shows that AI may lead to a future that is more conversational. A future where laptops and cell phones are still relevant, but less necessary. A future with fewer screens between us.

What customer experiences will these devices bring?

The trend line is pointing towards a future where customers will have devices that behave like executive assistants. It is foreseeable that these AI assistants will be interacting with your brand on behalf of your customer.

Customers will still have the option of calling you on the phone, or interacting with your website or app. But there will be a new option. Customers will be able to ask their AI assistant questions about your products and services. The quality of the AI assistant’s response to the customer will depend on the quality of your company’s integration with the AI assistant.

Right now, most brands are focusing heavily on how to use AI to streamline their existing operations. This is good. But, in the future, I expect to see more brands making data directly accessible to their customer’s through their AI-empowered devices.?