In the current landscape of professional services, we find ourselves at a critical crossroads. The rush to adopt artificial intelligence has created a new kind of market failure: the erosion of trust through "zero-friction" automation.
As the "AI-powered consumer" emerges, they are not just looking for faster answers; they are looking for evidence of a soul they can feel and trust.
The Race to Zero Friction is a Race to Zero Feeling
The central trap of the AI age is the pursuit of total efficiency. As noted in A Manifesto for the AI Age, "perfection is a slippery surface." When we remove every hurdle, every interaction, and every "rough" edge from our client experience, we inadvertently remove the very things that make a brand memorable.
Recent data from early 2026 shows that 73% of consumers can now actively spot and reject AI-generated marketing (Smythos, 2026). This "trust recession" suggests that "low-effort" content—often referred to as "AI slop"—is actually driving customers away.
Only 38% of consumers currently hold a positive sentiment toward AI in marketing (Statista, 2026).
When a brand appears to be on autopilot, the consumer feels ignored. In their eyes, if you didn't care enough to write the message, why should they care enough to read it?
From Efficiency to Unreasonable Hospitality
We have long believed that true hospitality could not scale. We traded intimacy for volume, assuming that "unreasonable" acts of service—the kind that surprise and delight—were reserved for small, boutique operations.
The manifesto argues that the machine has actually given us a second chance. AI should not be the destination; it should be the engine that frees you to focus on the "Analog"—the voice, the touch, and the genuine care. By automating the mundane, you gain the "smallness" required to be unreasonable again.
As AI commoditizes knowledge—logic, syntax, and recall—the value of your labor shifts toward wisdom: empathy, intuition, and judgment. These are the "rough edges" where the consumer's hands can actually find a grip.
The AI-Powered Consumer Expects More, Not Less
The modern consumer is also using AI. Shopping-related generative AI use grew by 35% in late 2025 (BCG, 2026). They are more informed and more capable of handling basic tasks themselves. This means that when they do reach out to a professional, they aren't looking for a data provider; they are looking for a guide.
To optimize a relationship is to end it. If you treat your database like a math problem to be solved with the highest "open rate" and the lowest "cost per lead," you are optimizing for a transaction, not a relationship.
True brand building in 2026 requires "human-in-the-loop" marketing.
This means:
Transparency: Being open about where AI is used and where the human takes over.
Brand Alignment: 60% of consumers seek AI experiences that feel brand-aligned and human (Adobe, 2026).
Scalable Intimacy: Using AI to remember the small details so you can deliver personalized, "unreasonable" service at a larger scale.
The New Standard
The goal is no longer to be the fastest or the cheapest. In a world of infinite, frictionless content, the "Human Premium" is the only sustainable competitive advantage. We must stop asking, "How do I automate this?" and start asking, "How does automating this allow me to be more human elsewhere?"
The AI is the engine, but your voice and your care are the steering wheel. Without them, you are just accelerating toward a cliff of irrelevance.
Sources:
A Manifesto for the AI Age (2026).
Smythos (2026). The AI Content Trust Gap: Why 73% of Consumers Reject AI Marketing.
Statista (2026). Decoding AI Consumers: Global Sentiment Trends.
BCG (2026). Consumers Trust AI to Buy Better: Why Brands Must Adapt.
Adobe (2026). Digital Trends Report: Building Brand Trust in the Age of AI Skepticism.