At SATNAC 2024, Dr. Noxolo Kubheka-Dlamini, Telkom’s Chief Digital & Information Officer for Consumer and Small Business, delivered a forward-looking keynote address titled “AI-Driven Hyper-Personalised Future.” This annual event, hosted by Telkom, took place from October 6-9 in the heart of Kruger National Park, Skukuza Rest Camp.
Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini’s thought-provoking speech centred around the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping hyper-personalised customer experiences, urging industry stakeholders to embrace change or risk becoming irrelevant.
Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini began by acknowledging the exponential pace of AI’s development.
“If you look at the evolution of AI,” she remarked, “it has moved from basic machine learning to deep learning, to autonomous AI, and now we’re entering the era of Generative AI and Artificial General Intelligence.”
The progression, she emphasised, isn’t just technical – it’s reshaping entire industries.
“We are now at a point where AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a fundamental component that dictates the future of how we interact with consumers,” she said.
Companies like Telkom, with large customer bases, need to adapt rapidly to stay relevant. Traditional approaches to customer segmentation and marketing are no longer sufficient in this hyper-connected world.
“We must move into predictive personalisation,” Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini insisted, noting that consumers expect brands to understand and anticipate their needs in real-time.
The hyper-personalized future
In this AI-driven, hyper-personalised future, consumer expectations are shifting dramatically.
As Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini aptly put it, “Consumers no longer just want digital solutions; they expect personalised, targeted experiences.”
She outlined how AI will help businesses create meaningful, real-time interactions that cater to the unique preferences of individual consumers.
“One of the biggest challenges we face,” she explained, “is ensuring that every interaction a customer has with us feels personal and relevant. When a customer contacts us, they don’t want to be treated as just another number – they want us to understand their current reality in real time.”
Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini pointed out that companies must leverage AI to keep up with the changing realities of customers.
“The world is changing around us at a speed we often cannot comprehend. If we fail to keep up, we risk losing not just relevance but also the ability to provide meaningful services and products,” she warned.
To illustrate the point, she posed the following question to the audience: “What happens when a consumer reaches out to us, and we don’t know who they are or what their current needs are?” The answer, she suggested, was simple but stark: “We lose their trust and their business. AI enables us to bridge that gap by providing the tools to not only meet but anticipate consumer needs.”
Real-time responsiveness and authenticity
In her address, Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini stressed the importance of real-time responsiveness.
“Consumers today expect us to engage them with information that is timely, convenient, and authentic. If we’re going to call them or interact with them, we need to know what’s happening in their world at that moment. The reality is, when you call me, you should already know who I am, what I’ve purchased, and what I might need next,” she said.
AI enables this level of precision and personal connection.
Authenticity was another recurring theme.
According to Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini, AI must not only enhance the consumer experience but also make interactions feel genuine.
“It’s not just about having the right data,” she said. “It’s about creating a meaningful, authentic connection with the customer, where they feel seen and understood.”
She urged companies to ensure their AI-driven solutions reflect the distinct tastes and preferences of individual users.
“We need to be careful not to fall into the ‘use case trap’ where we focus too much on general solutions and forget about the real, human experiences we’re trying to enhance,” she advised.
The role of AI in shaping digital marketing
Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini also touched on how AI is reshaping digital marketing, where the competition for customer attention has become fierce.
“We’re in a crowded space where everyone is offering solutions to enhance digital marketing efforts,” she observed. “The key now is not just to pump money into campaigns, but to ensure that the return on investment is directly linked to AI-driven insights.”
One of the most critical insights AI can offer, she said, is a deeper understanding of consumer behavior.
“It’s no longer enough to target consumers based on broad demographics. We must understand their emotional, social, and contextual needs at every point in the journey. This is where AI’s predictive capabilities come into play – helping us anticipate what the consumer wants before they even know it themselves.”
AI’s impact on customer identity and experience
The concept of digital identity is evolving, Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini noted, and AI is key to managing this shift.
“We’re entering a space where consumers live simultaneously in the physical world, online, and even in the metaverse. Our challenge is to understand and respect these elastic identities.”
She posed another critical question: “How do we position ourselves to serve these consumers whose realities are constantly shifting between these realms?”
The answer, she suggested, lies in embracing AI technologies that adapt in real-time.
“AI allows us to track, respond, and even predict consumer behavior across these different spaces, ensuring that the experience feels seamless and personalized no matter where they are.”
Building for the future: partnerships and investments
Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini closed her speech with a call for collaboration and strategic investments in AI technologies.
“We need true, meaningful, and genuine partnerships,” she asserted. “Telkom and other businesses cannot do this alone. It’s a win-win: we give, and we take. The quicker we embrace AI, the faster we’ll see value from our investments.”
She emphasised that while AI-driven personalisation offers tremendous opportunities, it also requires a mindset change and bold decision-making.
“Indecision is killing us,” she admitted, highlighting the need to move quickly. “We can’t afford to delay the adoption of AI-driven solutions if we want to remain competitive. It’s a long game, but the longer we wait, the bigger the gap becomes.”
The time to act is now
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Kubheka-Dlamini reiterated the importance of moving forward boldly.
“AI is here. The technologies are available, and the time to act is now. If we don’t embrace this hyper-personalised future, we’ll be left behind, struggling to catch up with consumer expectations.”
Her words left no doubt: the future is AI-driven, and only those who adapt will thrive in this brave new world of hyper-personalisation.
