When GenAI makes everything possible, what is desirable?
In a world where GenAI can do almost anything, the real differentiator for business leaders is no longer capability – it is clarity. The question is not what GenAI can do, but what your business should do with it. In this article we explore the dynamics of designing with intention and creating desirable digital experiences.
Deloitte predicts that 25% of companies using GenAI will launch GenAI agent pilots in 2025, rising to 50% by 2027. The wave is coming fast. But it will not be capability that defines winners – it will be those who can cut through the noise with a sharper sense of purpose.1
The new paradox of progress
GenAI is making complex tasks simple, removing friction, and accelerating processes. By nature, we humans often tend to take the path of least resistance, and GenAI is about to make that path even smoother.
But here lies the paradox:
“GenAI can remove friction, but desirability comes from adding intention.”
Your competitors will have access to similar tools. Efficiency alone will not help you win. The leaders who stand out will be those who harness GenAI with clarity, ensuring it enhances differentiation rather than diluting it.
Desirability does not come from having more. It comes from having less, but better.
As GenAI levels the playing field by giving everyone the power to design, build, and launch – it also becomes harder for brands to stand apart.
When everything becomes accessible, the real challenge becomes creating something that is not just available, but valuable. Not just functional, but felt.
So where can businesses start?
People will still want meaning. Still crave difference.
GenAI might flood the world with content, but leave users cold. Overwhelmed by volume, underwhelmed by value. A risk that can be accounted for if we design with intention and desirability at heart.
If we look back, there is a lesson to be learned. Meta’s Marketplace became the biggest second-hand platform, reaching millions of users. But Vinted conquered the pre-loved clothing market by understanding the growing mainstream acceptance of circular consumption and sustainable fashion.
So, here is the real task for businesses: Do not just use GenAI to do more, faster. Use it to do less, with more intention. Use it to shape fewer, deeper, more resonant moments. Not to reflect what everyone wants, but to anticipate what someone needs.
GenAI is brilliant at tracking behaviour, spotting patterns, adjusting on the fly. But for those interactions to move beyond just personalised but to also become desirable, brands need more than just data. They need a point of view. More clarity. More consistency. More edge.
It means deciding what you stand for and using every tool, every model, every chatbot and agent and recommender system. To double down on that.
To not just automate, but to elevate.
The real cheat code for digital experiences is not GenAI. It is being human
GenAI alone does not make digital experiences great. Imagine GenAI as your engine, and your purpose as your compass. Because customers want more than speed or cost savings. They want to feel understood.
This means that leaders must put intentionality and design principles at the core of their GenAI strategies to ensure technology reinforces trust, craft, and consistency.
“When everything is easy to make, value lies in what is hard to replicate.”
A framework to finding your edge in the age of GenAI
GenAI will expand what is possible and take us to the next level in many ways. As the saying goes: “a rising tide lifts all boats”. There are, however, still things you can do to rise above the rest. Here is where to start:
Find your edge with GenAI and build a strong offering to solidify your position. A strong offering does three things: it meets expectations, it makes you competitive, and it makes you truly different.
Instead of focusing solely on what GenAI can do, think about how you can sharpen your value proposition to make the most of it.
To find your edge with GenAI, you can consider three questions:
- How can you use GenAI to create experiences that truly meet customer expectations?
- How can you use GenAI to make your offerings more competitive?
- What unique strengths can you amplify with GenAI to stand out?
It is important to note that building this edge demands infrastructure. Deloitte found that 75% of enterprises have increased investment in data lifecycle management to support GenAI2.
It is also important to recognise that your edge may evolve. The intersection of customer expectations, market dynamics, and your brand’s core values is fluid, so your use of GenAI should be, too.
Maintain agility by continuously re-evaluating your framework as both technology and user expectations change. Adopt a test-and-learn mindset to refine experiences over time. This iterative approach will allow you to move fast without losing focus.
Closing thoughts
GenAI will change how businesses operate. But the winners will not be those who adopt the most features. They will be those who make the clearest choices.
The organisations that stand out will be those that combine the power of GenAI with human judgment, bold decisions, and cultural integrity.
Being irreplaceable starts with being unmistakably you.
Click here to explore our AI Customer Agents Series: a series on crafting modular AI Customer Agents that deliver tangible value.
Johan Gustafsson
Björn Wickström
