‍AI for CX Summit – Day 1 Session 2 Recap

Customer experience isn’t just being impacted by AI, it’s being fundamentally redefined by it.

In this energizing session of the AI for CX Summit, AmplifAI hosted Dan Gingiss, author of The Experience Maker and a globally recognized CX leader, for a powerful walkthrough of how AI is creating value across every layer of the customer journey. Gingiss’ message was clear: to win with AI, brands need to start with the customer, not the technology.

From hyper-personalized content to predictive analytics and immersive virtual experiences, the companies thriving today are those using AI to anticipate needs, reduce effort, and build trust.

‍Who This Session Is For

This session delivered actionable inspiration for:

• CX professionals looking to translate AI from concept to action
• Contact center and service leaders prioritizing retention and satisfaction
• Product, marketing, and operations teams exploring how AI can improve speed, personalization, and impact

Gingiss emphasized that becoming an “experience maker” starts with one thing: putting your customers’ needs at the center of every AI decision.

5 Key Takeaways from Dan Gingiss

1. Personalization at Scale Isn’t Optional—It’s Expected

AI has redefined what “personalization” means. It’s not enough for a platform to greet customers by name. Leading companies like Netflix and Spotify are using AI to create dynamic, highly tailored experiences that adapt to user behavior in real time.

• Netflix leverages AI to adjust not just recommendations, but the actual imagery displayed—showing different thumbnails based on viewer preferences and time of day.
• Spotify takes it further with AI-generated playlists created from natural language prompts (e.g., “chill beats to study to” or “angry gym music for a breakup”), delivering content that feels emotionally relevant.

Gingiss cited that 80% of all Netflix viewing comes from its recommendation engine—an outcome that’s not just impressive, but worth over $1 billion annually in customer retention.

The message: personalization isn’t a feature, it’s a foundation—and AI is the only way to scale it meaningfully.

2. Predictive Analytics Is the New Operating System for Smart CX

The most successful customer-centric organizations don’t wait for issues to arise—they anticipate them. Starbucks and Sephora are leading examples of how AI-powered predictive analytics transform both experience and efficiency.

• Starbucks analyzes over 100 million transactions per week to forecast demand, optimize staffing, and even launch hyper-local promotions based on weather trends (like Frappuccino deals during heat waves).
• Sephora combines loyalty data, purchase history, in-store interactions, and beauty quizzes to tailor product recommendations and marketing, creating a seamless omnichannel experience.

What these brands have in common is a strategy that treats data as an anticipatory tool, not just a reporting mechanism. The ROI? Higher engagement, lower waste, and increased loyalty.

3. Virtual Reality is Making Customer Experience Tangible

AI isn’t just improving backend workflows—it’s creating entirely new front-end experiences.

• Benjamin Moore’s AR-powered paint visualization tool lets users preview wall colors in their real space, while its color reader matches shades from real-world inspiration. This reduces returns, accelerates decision-making, and boosts buyer confidence.
• Zillow’s 3D Home Tours drive 48% more buyer interest, 87% more listing views, and homes sell 31% faster—all because buyers can “walk through” homes without leaving theirs.
• Lowe’s uses in-store VR to teach customers DIY skills in a risk-free environment—an empowering tool that elevates both trust and engagement.

These are more than flashy features. They’re experience multipliers—using AI to remove uncertainty, increase interactivity, and build brand confidence before purchase.

4. AI Should Empower Human Agents—Not Replace Them

In customer service, Gingiss reminded us that while AI has advanced far beyond chatbots, humans remain central to trust and resolution. That’s why the smartest organizations focus on AI-human collaboration:

• American Express uses real-time transcription and sentiment analysis to alert agents when frustration is detected, enabling timely escalation or empathetic responses. AI also suggests next-best actions and pulls up relevant information during live calls—so agents don’t waste time searching.
• Capital One’s virtual assistant, Eno, proactively flags duplicate charges, suspicious activity, or price hikes—offering transparency that builds lasting loyalty.

These companies aren’t just speeding up service. They’re making AI feel like a partner—one that elevates the agent and protects the customer.

5. AI Adoption Requires Clarity, Collaboration, and Customer Consent

Perhaps the most important message of the session: AI isn’t just a technical investment—it’s an ethical and strategic one.

Gingiss emphasized four practices every organization must implement to get AI right:

1. Balance automation with empathy. Hybrid models work best—let AI handle routine tasks, but keep humans ready for nuance and escalation.
2. Protect data and be transparent. Customers want to know how their data is used. Consent must be earned, not assumed.
3. Continuously train and audit AI systems. Minimize bias, ensure fairness, and keep models aligned with your evolving values and use cases.
4. Gather feedback—often. Use customer insights to improve how AI is deployed, communicated, and perceived.

He cited a SurveyMonkey study where 90% of Americans still prefer human support. That’s not resistance—it’s a reminder: customers don’t want AI for AI’s sake. They want help, speed, and understanding. AI must support those outcomes—not distract from them.

Looking Ahead: 4 Trends to Watch

Gingiss closed the session with four fast-approaching AI shifts that CX leaders should monitor:

• Co-Creation: Customers will increasingly shape products and content using generative AI tools.
• Emotional AI: Systems will grow more empathetic—analyzing tone, sentiment, and expressions to guide interactions.
• Autonomous Journeys: AI will guide entire experiences (like Amazon’s walkout stores), but adoption will depend on customer readiness.
• AI-Powered Physical Spaces: From casino upgrades at Caesar’s Palace to real-time personalization in hotels and retail, the in-person experience is going AI-native.

The takeaway? Be bold, but stay grounded. Every leap forward should be built on customer trust, clear business outcomes, and a measurable plan.

Expert Quote to Remember

“AI is moving fast. The technology will keep changing. What won’t change is this: when you put your customer at the center, you make better business decisions—every time.”

— Dan Gingiss, The Experience Maker