Grant Smith is a CX Strategist who has worked with some of Australia’s largest brands to help embed CX thinking into their communication and advertising programs. As a strategist, he holds a deep interest in Artificial Intelligence and is he currently studying an MBA at New York based Section with a focus on AI and its intersection with Customer Experience. We caught up with Grant to chat about AI implications for CX practitioners:

What do you think will be the long term implications of AI on CX?

Long term I think the largest impact will be personalisation and targeting at what is an indescribable niche. Predictive analytics, deeper customer insight and tailored persuasion will shift CX planning to lead from personas and segments to planning based on individualised traits. Beyond the planning implications I believe we are just 3-5 years away from knowledge centres taking center stage in the design of customer contact. This will result in virtual assistance likely outshining traditional support for troubleshooting and shopping/exploration with more focus on conversational journey planning. 

Do you think that the repercussions of AI will change the skill-sets required by CX practitioners?

Very much so, I believe that the impact of AI will drive a shift toward a more data-driven aptitude among CX practitioners. It's crucial for our strategies to effectively target, interpret and adapt to data signals, including; Net Promoter Score, Conversion Rates, and Customer Satisfaction metrics. Proficiency in predictive analytics, AI-driven forecasting, and the utilisation of company and research AI will become highly sought after. I think our team sizes will reduce favouring skills like data engineering, audience orchestration and marketing automation. 

What can CX professionals do right now to incorporate AI into their approach?

I recently invested a year in upskilling through an online mini-MBA on AI in marketing.  While valuable, the best investment for CX professionals is hands-on experimentation. Challenge your own assumptions, learn how to write effective prompts for your field, and initiate conversations with your stakeholders about prioritising valuable data into future state AI enhanced data lakes. For those not aiming for roles in emerging CX AI, I still recommend building a foundation of AI Ethics, Data and most importantly Prompt writing. Exploring the integration of freeware AI tools as a co-pilot in your daily tasks, validating and extending your initial thinking will be an AI fundamental. 

Should we be thinking of AI as opportunity or threat?



While AI may pose a macro-level risk with potential workforce reduction, viewing it as a threat overlooks the immense opportunity it presents. AI has the ability to strengthen CX capability for brands and professionals. Committing to invest to grow with AI development in our field will see strategies more reasoned, CX initiatives more insightful and persuasive and tactics more automated. I think being optimistic about how AI can enrich the CX profession is the most reasonable path. Technological change is always hard for those who embrace the challenge, but most difficult for those who refuse to grow with the times.

What areas of concern or caution should we consider when applying AI to CX?

Despite my strong advocacy for AI, the biggest caution lies in putting the cart before the horse—over-reliance without proper investment and validation. Balancing enthusiasm with a strategic approach to AI implementation is crucial for successful integration into CX practices. Concerns related to ethics, bias, data privacy, and regulation are all substantial during the emergence of AI in our field. From a professional standpoint, it's essential to recognise that the best CX is built on empathy, which isn't easily engineered. Successful AI outcomes are achieved when knowledge workers train and co-develop the tools with the highest standards of professional practice. Developing AI tools that inspire confidence requires transparency and a commitment to iterative improvement.