Face-to-Face Business in the Era of AI Avatars

A fascinating phenomenon is on the horizon.

We are not quite there yet, but in a year or two we will be: in online meetings, discerning who is a genuinely present human will become impossible.

We will have humans in the meetings, but we will also have AI avatars, indistinguishable from their human counterparts, populate these virtual spaces. Some of them will be representing real individuals, attending meetings for them, with mostly benevolent intentions; others will be non-consensual digital twins impersonating them, controlled by potentially malevolent actors.

How can you tell the difference between these three options? Soon, you can’t.

This possibility raises profound questions about the authenticity and security of remote interactions.

Consequently, this scenario can bring in an unexpected revival: a dramatic resurgence of face-to-face business travel, which is still below the pre-pandemic levels.

We are already seeing signs of people preferring face-to-face contact, whether for training or conferences. It’s completely understandable; with the pandemic era travel restrictions and remote work, we’re all pretty zoomed-out and fatigued of online meetings.

But now we will have another reason to be f2f: in an era where AI can convincingly mimic human presence, the value of in-person interactions skyrockets.

Trust, the bedrock of business and human interaction, finds its stronghold in the physical meeting rooms and on walks, away from the ambiguity of digital representations. This shift underscores a fundamental human need – the assurance that comes from looking someone in the eye, deciphering their body language, and sharing a physical space, along with the undeniably stronger connection that forms when physically co-located.

The risk of misrepresentation or deception through AI avatars in sensitive negotiations will amplify the demand for traditional, face-to-face meetings. The nuances of high-stakes business dealings – often lost or manipulated in the virtual realm – will increasingly necessitate a return to the physical world.

Consider it a forecast of a speculative future: a resurgence in travel. In our increasingly globally distributed organizations, the only way to get f2f time is by traveling.

But it will come with at least two caveats.

First, increased travel is not without its drawbacks. As an aviation enthusiast, I am in at least two minds about all this; while flying and the entire industry of connecting people holds a special place in my heart, the negative environmental implications are undeniable.

Increased air travel inevitably leads to an increase in carbon emissions. Newer planes are more efficient, yes; better procedures create further efficiencies; technologies like SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) are making slow inroads; but the fact remains that more flying = more emissions. This environmental impact poses a challenge, compelling us to find a balance between the newfound – or perhaps rediscovered – necessity of travel and our responsibility towards the planet.

Could this be the catalyst for accelerated development in sustainable aviation technologies? Might we witness a revolution in other, eco-friendly travel options as a response to this increased demand? Will we hire people more locally? Will we care more about the environment, given we put a higher value on physical presence now? Or will we, jaded by the inevitability of shooting past the +2C climate targets anyway, care less, pushing aside the environmental implications of increased travel?

In this speculative future, the human element in business regains its prominence. Despite the leaps in technology, the nuances of human interaction – the unspoken understanding, the handshake, the shared laughter over a coffee or a meal – retain their irreplaceable value in the corporate world.

This scenario presents a fusion of both extremes – on one hand, leveraging cutting-edge AI for efficiency while on the other hand reverting to traditional, in-person meetings for matters of significance.

Second, one potential wild card here is spatial computing and the whole ‘metaverse’ deal, and the improving sense of remote presence these technologies bring about; integrated biometric authentication can also, if not eliminate, at least alleviate the security and authenticity concerns. But it may not be enough.

The implications of AI avatars in business extend beyond mere technological advancement, and of course beyond the landscape of just business – they touch on the core of human interaction, trust, and our environmental responsibilities.

This is not just about technology's limits or capabilities; it's about understanding and valuing the human presence, and human touch in an increasingly digital world.

As we enter this new era, one would hope we can navigate it with thoughtfulness, balancing the digital and the physical, the efficient and the sustainable, the innovative and the timeless.

Meanwhile, keep your bags packed.