We need to develop a vision for Machine Customers

We need to develop a vision for Machine Customers

"The robots are coming, and they're bringing pizza." - Alexis Ohanian, Reddit

You know what has been on my mind the last few months?

Machine customers.

Yeah, you heard that right.

The concept of "machine customers" has emerged from an robotic afterthought to a customer segment which is demanding attention from you as you read this.

Because this is going to change how we look at websites, user experience, and customer interaction on a fundamental level.

For 12 previous articles on AI-Agent technology, see the bottom of this article.

I mean, think about it.

These AI-driven autonomously operating agents are going to be altering the consumer landscape and organizations (both businesses, NGO''s and goverments alike) need to develop new strategies and tools to work with this new development.

AI agent platforms are evolving at lightning speed, and this year, they'll become so user-friendly, that you can ask them to do all sorts of tasks for you, like booking and paying for your next vacation. Personal agents like ELNA are gaining traction, working with AI agents to assist you based on your preferences.

Just ask your your personal agent to choose, book, pay, and plan your next trip, and it'll connect with a travel AI, find the best options, and take care of everything for you. Who needs websites when you have AI agents that can access the right data and deals? That's why platforms like Elna AI is so exciting - it combines personal AI (an Agent that knows who you are, what you like and acts like a second brain) and agentic AI (which is a collection of 1 to multilple AI agents doing stuff in a synchronized matter).

It's just so much fun to explore!


Before we start!

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Now, let me ask you this.

When you're shopping, do you make decisions based on emotions or logic? I bet most of us would say emotions, right? Well, unlike traditional consumers, machine customers are actively analyzing data, learning preferences, and making purchases that align with the needs and habits of their human counterparts, a stark contrast to the emotion-driven decisions of human buyers. It's going to be a totally new ballgame!

The implications for businesses are profound, as shops, B2B platforms, you name it, now need to cater to a new type of customer — informed by data and driven by efficiency.

"(Visonary) CEOs believe machine customers will account for up to 20% or more of revenue by 2030." — Gartner

Can you believe that? Gartner's analysis captures the essence of this shift: "For the first time in human history, machines are making autonomous purchasing decisions."

To me, that is mind-boggling and interesting at the same time.

This change will create a disruption in market dynamics. Businesses now cater not only to humans but now have to expand their interaction to an array of intelligent, interconnected machines.

But how exactly is AI transforming consumerism?

Well, let me break it down.

Machines now serve as independent purchasing agents. They evaluate, decide, and execute transactions autonomously.

Consider smart refrigerators (here we go again), ordering groceries or your travel AI-Agent — these are not just convenient technologies but a new type of buyer grounded in efficiency and logic. These AI-driven entities have the potential to not only complement but surpass human buyers in both number and purchasing power.

A striking insight from Gartner's research reveals the magnitude of this shift. By 2030, it's projected that 15% to 20% of company revenue could be generated from purchases made by machine customers.

Let that sink in for a moment.

This means "business", people, or not, if you don't catch on, and get the urgency for your business to adapt to this new type of customer, that operates on algorithms and data rather than impulses and desires.

But it's not just in the consumer world. In business settings, offices and factories are adopting this technology too. A factory could autonomously order raw materials when stocks run low, ensuring continuous production. These are just examples of a future where AI-driven purchases streamline operations, work on efficiency, optimize supply chains and redefine consumer and business experiences. These tools are hitting the market. The two most beautiful tools (that are not AI-Agent based yet, by the way), FOUNT, and Blue Prism, have delivered efficiencies between 10 and 20 M USD in a few months time. (Link to FOUNT , and Blue Prism article)

So, what does this mean for businesses? How can they adapt to a machine-driven market? Well, machine customers differ significantly from humans because they are just tireless. They are logical decision-making machines, unaffected by emotions. Aadapting to this shift means rethinking strategies and incorporating machine customer considerations into their roadmaps.

Developing expertise in this area could involve investing in data analytics and AI, understanding machine purchasing patterns, and even tailoring products or services to match these new digital consumers. This transition to AI-driven purchasing is not an emerging trend; it's a paradigm shift that reshapes how products and services are sold and consumed.

Check out this timeline - a roadmap for navigating these shifts

Bound customer (today): Here, humans set the rules, and machines follow, executing purchases for specific items. This is seen in today's smart devices and services on websites, apps etc.

Adaptable customer (by 2026): Machines will co-lead with humans, making optimized decisions from a set of choices. They will even be connected with smart home systems that can suggest and, or choose for instance energy providers.

Autonomous customer (by 2036): The machine will take the lead, inferring needs and making purchases based on a complex understanding of rules, content, and preferences, such as AI personal assistants managing daily tasks. They will automatically (if you allow them to), and in real-time choose that new energy provider, based on your personal consumption patterns (business case, anyone?).

It's like watching a sci-fi movie unfold in real life, isn't it?


So, who will be tomorrow's market movers?

The consumer market is no longer solely human-centric; the behavior of machines increasingly influences it. For businesses, this means a shift in strategy and approach to accommodate these new digital consumers. The future of commerce will likely be shaped by these machine-driven decisions, making it quite important for companies to prepare for a marketplace where their major customers might not be human at all.

So, there it is, people. The rise of machines is finally upon us, and it's time to get ready for the ride.

My only challenge will be to keep them robots from buying beer, and drinking it themselves - Marco

To me it's an exciting time to be alive.

And I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Leave a comment below. With a little help from you, that will get the message across to more potential readers.



Well, that's a wrap for today. Tomorrow, I'll have a fresh episode of TechTonic Shifts for you. If you enjoy my writing and want to support my work, feel free to buy me a coffee ??

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Signing off - Marco


Previous articles on Agentic AI



Ed Schimmel

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate | Azure Developer Associate | Power BI Data Analyst Associate | Solutions Developer

3 个月

Hi Marco, interesting article again. I start to realize more and more how powerful LLMs like ChatGPT are. I asked it to book me a holiday around Brisbane (where I life) with nature tours and places to stay. A neat list with options was presented with a schedule for every day.

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