THE END OF DIGITAL DRUDGERY?

By Hilary Woods

There is something faintly amusing about the way so many people talk about anybody born before 1960 when it comes to digital.

There’s an assumption they are somehow terrified, baffled, or endlessly frustrated. Truth is I am often baffled at how badly tech people have constructed sites (see proving your identity on gov.uk) and how the talk of ‘frictionless’ means friction-less for the seller but friction-FULL for the buyer or user of a service. Where are the days when someone in customer service did it for you?

Nevertheless, I and other Third Agers have booked flights online, managed investments, navigated satnavs, embraced Zoom/WhatsApp/googlemeets and the dreaded Teams and, in many cases, become considerably more digitally capable than the people who assume we are not.

But what has really caught my imagination over the last few months is the conversations about Agentic AI.

In simple terms, it is AI that doesn’t just answer questions. It takes action to achieve a goal. Instead of asking, “What’s the best flight to Lisbon?”, you say, “Find and book me the best flight under £500, leaving after 10am.” It searches, compares, applies your preferences, books the flight and sends the confirmation.

In other words, less chatbot, more competent personal assistant. And frankly, who wouldn’t welcome one of those?

The attraction for Third Agers is not that we need technology to make decisions for us. It is that we increasingly value technology that removes unnecessary hassle. Badly built websites, password gymnastics, endless product choices and the laborious ordeal of comparing prices are simply annoying chores wearing digital clothing.

Agentic AI could help with all of this: managing household purchases, coordinating travel, organising appointments, worrying about ordering statins on time or simply keeping track of the many small tasks that consume time and attention and stop me getting on with much more stimulating things.

There is also a bigger opportunity. Properly designed, these systems could support the independence of people ‘of mature years’ by continuing to help them remain active, capable and in control.

The important distinction is this: Agentic AI should work for us, not take over from us.

Watch for brands that take advantage of Agentic AI to make powerful new service experiences for their customers. It will be Service-As-Advertising.  They will build or sponsor agentic solutions that will win by quietly making life easier.

Which, when you think about it, is what good service was supposed to do in the first place.

Hilary is Co-founder and Strategy and Insight Director at A3A