Building The Human Foundation Of The AI-Powered Enterprise

We’ve all done it: We’ve had to repeatedly prove that we are human to access digital services. I’ve personally failed to click on all the boxes that include AI-generated bicycles or bridges, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

It’s especially frustrating when you have to prove your humanity just to have an online conversation with a less-than-helpful AI-enabled chatbot.

As brands deploy more AI use cases, they’re taking human-in-the-loop, human-on-the-loop, or even human-out-of-the-loop approaches. In many cases, they seem to forget that the best AI use cases make things easier for humans. In fact, Forrester predicts that three in 10 firms will harm their total experience growth with frustrating AI self-service this year.

Business leaders would do well to remember that customer obsession is a customer-led operating model. It impels firms to be human, helpful, and handy. Customer obsession is even more critical during difficult economic periods or times of technological change. Both are certainly true for 2026. With the stakes so high, you can’t afford to go wrong with AI.

How can you avoid the pitfalls of premature AI deployments?

The short answer: Build a human foundation — but that will require a fresh approach.

Just as Meta evolved from “move fast and break things” to “move fast with stable infrastructure” as the company matured, firms across all geographies and sectors need to think of AI as more than a technology challenge. It represents a tremendous business opportunity for those who embrace the hard work required across the enterprise.

You’ll need to build a strong foundation for sustainable growth — with a flexible operating model for rapidly accelerating evolution. As Justin Trudeau famously said in 2018, “The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.”

The tried-and-true investment pillars of people, process, and technology still apply, but think of them as your:

Human-led strategy
Human-focused operations
Human-first transformation

All three consider the needs of your customers, your prospects, and your employees to ensure that your AI investments have a positive impact on your customer experience (CX), brand experience (BX), and employee experience (EX) initiatives.

Join us at Forrester’s CX events

That’s why our upcoming CX events each include a keynote session focused on “The Human Foundation Of The AI-Powered Enterprise.” The keynote — which I will give at Forrester’s CX Summit EMEA and my colleague Colleen Fazio will deliver at CX Forum East and CX Forum West — challenges leaders to confront a hard truth: AI failures are strategy failures. We’ll explore how to build the foundation AI can’t invent on its own — clarity, trust, and intent — and deliver a true total experience powered by humans and AI.

Join us in Amsterdam, New York City, or San Francisco to hear our recommendations on how a human-centered approach to AI can enhance your total experience strategy. We’ll also share best practices from European and North American firms that are leading the way with AI investments that benefit customers and employees alike.

CX Summit EMEA takes place June 8–10, and our Forums follow soon after, on June 16–17 (CX Forum East) and June 29–30 (CX Forum West). We hope to see you there!