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Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we interact with brands. This technology makes it possible to detect fraud immediately, anticipate customer needs, and recommend the best product. And it does so without accumulating more personal data than is strictly necessary, which helps to avoid consumer mistrust. The challenge is to strike a balance in the customer experience: greater efficiency, but also greater respect for privacy.

Some examples illustrate this clearly:

Mastercard has developed AI systems that protect more than £159 billion in payments each year. They analyse information in real time and detect up to three times more fraud than before. In addition, they prevent 22% of unjustified rejections, i.e. valid purchases that were previously blocked by mistake. And all this without the need to track each buyer individually or store more data than is essential. The result is greater security and a smoother experience.

International banks such as JPMorgan, Citigroup and HSBC use similar systems. Thanks to AI, they can analyse transactions in real time, detect suspicious movements and prevent valid payments from being blocked by mistake. These solutions also reduce unnecessary alerts, streamline internal processes and free users from inconveniences such as calls or unjustified blocks.

Google has launched a feature called Scam Detection in its Google Messages app, available on Android. It detects potential scams in both traditional SMS messages and rich messages that include links or images. It does this directly on the device, without sending data to the cloud. For the user, the difference is clear: they can use their mobile phone with greater peace of mind, knowing that they are protected against digital fraud without their personal information being exposed. That sense of security is also part of the customer experience.

All these cases point to a clear idea: AI can be an invisible shield that improves the consumer experience while respecting their privacy, without the need for over-personalisation or invasion of privacy.

There is a line that should not be crossed. A Gartner report reveals that customers exposed to overly invasive personalisation tactics are 3.2 times more likely to regret their purchase and 44% less likely to repeat it. In other words, when personalisation goes too far, it destroys trust rather than building it.

The customer experience improves with AI when it combines speed and privacy. Without trust, technology does not provide enough value.