AI is the future of user experience

There’s no doubt that AI is already transforming how people use technology in their daily lives. You can ask ChatGPT for advice on tough interpersonal problems or ping Gemini when you need a recipe for dinner. And AI agents, which can complete tasks autonomously with little human oversight, are poised to change things even more.

Now, people expect the same kinds of experiences in their work. The computer began as office equipment and became a household staple. AI is moving in the opposite direction; its power and simplicity of use at home is resetting people’s expectations for the systems they use at work. “Consumer behavior is starting to drive people’s expectations in the enterprise,” affirms Luke Wroblewski, managing director and head of product at Sutter Hill Ventures.

To put it simply, “people want to work in the same way they live,” Lokey says.

While consumers effortlessly command AI assistants to draft emails and plan vacations, all too often, office workers must battle antiquated enterprise software that demands multiple logins, operates in silos, and moves at a glacial pace.

“People are finding tremendous efficiencies in their consumer use of AI, and they expect those same productivity gains at work—and even more so because of the value they can derive from working more intelligently,” says Lokey. When they encounter clunky workflows and disconnected applications at the office, the contrast feels jarring—and increasingly unacceptable.

User expectations of their empowerment through AI are evolving just as quicky as the AI tools introduce new capabilities. On-the-job tasks that once required specialized knowledge—writing code, analyzing data, creating high-quality graphics and video—can now be executed by a layperson using natural language.  

What’s the antidote? The data shows that companies taking a strategic approach to AI perform better than their competition. These companies start with a strong vision anchored in clear metrics and see higher gross margins than those that do not, according to ServiceNow’s 2025 Enterprise AI Maturity Index.

Many companies are attempting to bridge the consumer-employee divide by fundamentally rethinking their technology architecture. ServiceNow, for instance, has built an integrated platform designed from the ground up for AI integration—a single interface that connects and acts on external enterprise systems, with an AI layer orchestrating the experience.

This approach represents a departure from the traditional enterprise software model of bolt-on solutions and incremental upgrades. Instead of adding AI capabilities to existing systems, the platform treats AI as foundational infrastructure. This platform approach—leveraging a single codebase with built-in AI capabilities—has enabled businesses to knock down silos and scale strategically, according to the 2025 Enterprise AI Maturity Index.

By integrating AI into existing tools, organizations can create a better experience for employees, says Wroblewski. “It's better to bring the technology into a place where the employee is, where they already have context,” he says.

Critically, this philosophy emphasizes augmentation over automation. Rather than replacing human decision-making, AI agents function as sophisticated assistants. “They’re helpers rather than replacements; however, they do replace repetitive, process-driven, or analysis-heavy, manual work,” says Lokey. Users retain control and visibility into AI-driven processes, mitigating potential trust and transparency concerns.

AI-driven transformation requires a fundamental reconsideration of how organizations approach technology in the workplace. Like the rise of the personal computer, this is a moment that demands empathy and creativity. To understand what employees need, organizations need to think about how they navigate life—and work. “That means introducing new AI technology and capabilities that transform their effectiveness and productivity––seamlessly, intuitively, and within their flow of work,” Lokey says.