12 days of Click-mas: 1 new year to revolutionise communication

2024 could witness the advent of increasingly powerful communication technologies, enabling more natural communication and hyper-personalisation.

2023 was a tremendous year for technology. Advances across the board signalled humanity’s entrance into a new era of AI capabilities. Even politicians started using words like “superintelligence,” a term coined by the University of Oxford futurist and philosopher Nick Bostrom in 1998.

Looking ahead to 2024, many are predicting much of the same: giant breakthroughs, staggering advances, and an increasing infusion of intelligence with communication technologies. But take these predictions with a pinch of salt: tech has a habit of surprising people.

Large Language Model (LLM)-Powered Chatbots

Large language models came of age in 2023, with OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic releasing functional products to the public. However, the technology remains siloed in their applications, only available as a standalone chat interface on their websites.

In 2024, that will likely change. LLM-powered live chat solutions will appear more widely on organisations’ websites, trained to provide helpful answers to users on disparate topics. Integrating a chatbot into a website will feel less like an exercise in programming and more like instructing a new recruit.

However, given the experience in 2023, the risks of this approach will remain significant. LLM-powered chatbots may still give incorrect answers or say things users find offensive, just as they did throughout the year. Risk-averse organisations may still prefer to use human operatives reading from a script.

Even so, these machines’ sheer practicality and problem-solving skills will make them increasingly enticing, especially if companies can solve issues with hallucinations and bias. Thus, in 2024, the economic case for utilising them may become overwhelming.

Hyper-Personalised AI-Powered Communications

Another trend we will likely see in 2024 is the emergence of hyper-personalised AI-powered communication tools. These data-driven solutions will enable organisations to talk to customers in a contextually relevant way based on a shared history.

For example, suppose a customer calls to complain about the delivery of a new appliance to their home. Before AI, CRM systems would attempt to create a single source of truth about the caller, allowing any available agent to deal with their case.

Hyper-personalised AI will take this further by actively incorporating the entire communication history into its response in ways humans can’t. Systems will leverage data to optimise its outputs to meet customer objectives, such as minimising frustration.

Hyper-personalised AI-powered communications could also help clients and organisations by:

• Tailoring the customer journey to meet their needs at every touchpoint, such as providing them with product education
• Predicting when website visitors will require customer service assistance by evaluating their browsing data
• Enabling AI-powered tools to adapt to customer interactions based on their knowledge, ability, and expectations
• Personalising product recommendations and special offers
• Collecting feedback and analysing customer sentiment

Augmented-Connected Workforces

Gartner predicts that developments in communication technologies will also enable the development of the “augmented-connected workforce,” or ACW. The concept involves combining augmented reality (AR) with communication technologies to enhance frontline worker efficiency. Workers can get real-time guidance from experts and colleagues on jobs, reducing errors and improving safety.

Experts expect ACW to be a transition technology that emerges in multiple sectors in 2024 on the road to full automation. Integrated systems will deliver productivity benefits in the short term before more general AI takes over.

For example, we may see the manufacturing sector using ACW technology to provide real-time equipment diagnostics or enable front-line workers to troubleshoot machinery with the assistance of the head office. We may also see ACW implemented in surgeries and retail stores to help sales staff make better product recommendations to customers.

Cloud Contact Centers

2024 will also likely see the emergence of cloud contact centres as the dominant force in customer communication. These systems enable clients to talk to agents and staff on any device.

For example, cloud-based customer service apps could route enquiries to managers on business trips, allowing them to conduct interactions via handheld devices or laptops. These solutions could also help firms expand their remote call centre operations, hiring more people to work remotely.

Social And Environmental Communications

Another trend that may revolutionise communication in 2024 is a move towards social and environmental issues. Organisations will increasingly address these broad societal topics through whatever channels they use to talk to their audiences, including AI.

Customers and societal imperatives are driving these conversational narratives. Clients expect firms to take issues like the environment and diversity seriously.

At the same time, some brands will take an opposing stance on these issues as the culture wars intensify. Those with more traditional or conservative audiences may vigorously resist such communications in their marketing drives.

Machine Customers

Gartner also predicts organisations will need to put systems in place to communicate with non-human customers in 2024. Interestingly, Google introduced a machine agent that could arrange barber appointments and order pizzas in 2019 but shuttered the idea in 2022. However, the industry is already working on replacements capable of engaging in economically-relevant activities. 2024 will likely see an upgraded version of Duplex, plus offerings from other companies.

Because of this, organisations must prepare novel communication strategies. Gartner predicts these autonomous agents could be the source of trillions of dollars in company revenues by 2030 if current projections continue. Therefore, we may see the surreal spectacle of chatbots representing customers and firms communicating with each other without a human in the loop.

Continuous Threat Exposure Management

Finally, 2024 will likely see the arrival of continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) systems to combat increasing risks. Organisations are moving away from perimeter-based models and experimenting with imbuing their entire attack surfaces with defences to thwart intruders and nefarious internal actors.

CTEM will analyse the exploitability and accessibility of enterprises' digital and physical assets. AI-powered solutions will then churn through the data, assessing possible threat vectors on infrastructure components and patching vulnerabilities.

However, 2024 could also bring shocks to this model. AI systems may discover cryptography workarounds that compromise standard encryption protocols, damaging trust and economic activity globally.