Frank & Luna: Running Shoes
Frank, coming home from work, finds a box waiting for him at the door. He picks it up, surprised. He wasn’t expecting any deliveries. Inside, he finds a pair of sleek, comfortable-looking running shoes. The brand is unfamiliar, something he’s never heard of.
Frank asks Luna, his personal AI assistant, “Did you order these?”
“Yes, Frank,” Luna responds softly in his earbuds. “I noticed that your corporate picnic is coming up in 10 days. There’s going to be a 5K run, and I remember you mentioning how your current pair of running shoes have been causing discomfort. These new shoes have a design that’s tailored to your gait and shoe size, according to the foot scan data from your last visit to the podiatrist. I suggest you start wearing them today, so you can break them in before the picnic.”
Frank grins, pulling on the shoes. They feel comfortable, snug. He decides to take them for a quick jog around the block. As he starts to run, Luna continues, “Frank, based on your health data and previous running performance, I’ve designed a training plan to help you prepare for the 5K run. Would you like to start the first training session now?”
Throughout his run, Luna provides real-time feedback, suggesting pace adjustments and reminding him when to hydrate. She even selects a music playlist to keep his adrenaline pumping and his spirits high.
After the run, Frank finds that the shoes are indeed comfortable, and he feels good about the upcoming 5K.
Over dinner, Luna suggests recipes and helps Frank with cooking by providing step-by-step instructions. While Frank enjoys his meal, Luna presents him with a few interesting articles she found on the web. They’re from lesser-known websites that Frank wouldn’t typically come across, but the content is high-quality and in line with Frank’s interests.
After dinner, Luna reminds Frank about a call with an old friend in a different time zone. While Frank relaxes after the call, Luna continues to curate a selection of movies based on Frank’s preferences and recent releases, ensuring that Frank’s downtime is well-spent.
As Frank heads to bed, Luna provides a summary of his day, including his physical activity, productivity, and any highlights or upcoming events. She even offers a preview of tomorrow’s schedule and weather forecast, so Frank knows what to expect.
In this future, Luna, the AI, is a valuable partner in Frank’s life, helping him stay fit, remain organized, keep informed, and enjoy life more fully. She’s not just a tool, but a personal assistant that understands Frank’s needs and preferences and uses that understanding to make his life better.
In this AI-assisted world, traditional advertising indeed becomes extinct. Luna and other AI assistants represent a completely new paradigm of discovering and procuring products and services. Here’s how:
Direct Evaluation: Luna and her AI peers evaluate products and services directly, not based on advertising or human-written reviews. They can analyze vast amounts of data about a product, its manufacturing process, the company behind it, customer satisfaction data, and more. They might even be able to access data that human consumers typically can’t, such as detailed product specifications or data from product testing.
AI Trust Network: AI assistants like Luna could form their own network of trust, sharing reviews and recommendations with each other. These reviews wouldn’t be based on subjective human experiences or potentially biased advertising, but on objective data analysis. For example, if Luna finds that the running shoes she ordered for Frank are comfortable, durable, and well-made, she could share this information with other AI assistants. They could then use this information to make recommendations for their own users, even if those users have never heard of the shoe company.
Proactive Discovery: Luna doesn’t wait for a company to advertise its products to her. Instead, she’s always on the lookout for new products and services that could benefit Frank. When a new company emerges that offers a product that fits Frank’s needs, Luna doesn’t need to see an ad to discover it. She can find it through her own proactive search and evaluation processes.
AI-to-AI Communication: Luna and her peers can communicate with each other much more efficiently than humans can. They can share vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, allowing them to keep each other informed about new discoveries, product evaluations, and more. This allows them to stay up-to-date with the latest products and services, without the need for advertising.
In this scenario, Luna and her AI peers become the primary consumers of product information. They discover, evaluate, and purchase products on behalf of their users, eliminating the need for traditional advertising. Instead of trying to appeal to human consumers through advertising, companies might need to find ways to make their products stand out to AI assistants. This could lead to a greater focus on product quality, transparency, and other factors that AI assistants can evaluate objectively.