Once limited to support tasks, AI now plays a defining role in how brands communicate with customers. What used to be a bonus: personalized experiences, is now the bare minimum. And with smarter AI systems everywhere, companies have to work even harder to make those interactions feel human and authentic.
We’re seeing this shift happen everywhere, no matter the industry. Telecommunications, financial services, media, retail. Chatbots have moved beyond simple rule-based interactions. They're now intelligent systems powered by large language models, capable of understanding context and predicting what customers want. But this technological leap creates important questions about privacy, ethics, and the line between helpful personalization and intrusive surveillance.
Customers share unprecedented amounts of personal data while worrying about how it's used. Meanwhile, younger generations, especially Gen Z, feel comfortable with AI-driven interactions. This opens new ways to engage and gather insights that weren't possible just years ago.
These issues were explored in depth at the CDO Vision New York panel discussion, moderated by Gabi Steele, Co-Founder / CEO at Preql, alongside panelists Randy Yanoshak - Vice President of Enterprise Applications at PeoplesBank, Vignesh CV - Senior Vice President, Head of Data Analytics LOB at SG Analytics, Arvind Rajagopalan - Global Head of Data/AI Enablement & Product Engineering at Verizon and Giorgio Suighi - Global Managing Director & Lead for AI, Tech & Platforms consulting at WPP Media.
How Personalization Is Evolving
Personalization has become the foundation of modern customer experience. It's transformed how organizations interact with their audiences across every touchpoint. The goal remains the same: deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. What's changed is how companies achieve this.
