No One to Talk To, Everything to Do

Automation and AI mean we talk less and less to our fellow humans, even when surrounded by them.

I don't buy a ticket for my train at an office, I tap to pay.

I enter the office and go straight through a security gate, no need to pass a receptionist.

If my computer doesn't work I email the IT helpline via the intranet.

I buy my lunch using an automated checkout and talk to no one in the store.

I message my friends via Whatsapp, and calls are a much less regular occurrence than they used to be.

I buy clothes online, and pick them up from my porch without ever even seeing a human, nevermind talking to one.

Each of these moments used to be a moment to talk to another human, now they are not. I’d have to go out of my way to talk to someone face to face today.

Human connection has had friction added to it, whilst getting stuff done has had friction removed.

At the same time, removing all that friction has reduced touchpoints for brands to surface themselves to customers.

We have optimised for machine-like productivity over relationships.

But we are not machines.

We are human and we have a physiological need for relationships. We can not thrive without them.

I’d like to see some brands bring friction back into our lives, to allow us to connect more as humans, and see if it's possible for brands to build connection over convenience, and still win.

There’s a few brands I’ve seen doing this recently:

• Booths supermarket got rid of their electronic check outs and put staff back in place over a year ago.

• John Lewis offers in store experiences that you cannot get online, adding value to customers and increasing footfall at the same time. E.g. the House of Henna Artist sessions over Eid.

• Waterstones add (in todays’ world, relatively long!) handwritten staff recommendations to books, bringing customers and the local staff members closer.

• Brands like Supreme offer in store drops that require you to queue (and chat to others in said queue) to access the latest items.

As we look ahead, the opportunity for brands is to matter more deeply.

In a world where everything is designed to be fast and frictionless, the brands that choose to slow us down, invite interaction, and create space for human moments may not just stand out, they may be exactly what we need.