In this special episode we’re joined by Qualtircs’ Head of Experience Community – Leaders Network, James Scutt, a pioneer in experience management and a staunch advocate of ethical AI. Chris and James explore how organizations can shift from using AI merely as a functional tool to leveraging it as a driver for building trust, engagement, and loyalty.
There is an underlying, like back of the head thing in most people that they feel like they’ve cheated at work if they use AI. Well, that’s interesting because they don’t feel like they’ve cheated when they send an email when they could have sent a letter.
— James Scutt, Qualtrics
James breaks down the complex world of AI into actionable insights, advocating for starting small with low-risk pilot projects such as internal workflow automation or customer churn prediction models. He highlights the critical role of transparency—giving stakeholders clear visibility into how AI operates and ensuring ethical practices to mitigate issues such as bias or data misuse.
Highlights include:
- Why trust is more than technology: Trust relies on transparency, emotional cues, and empowering employees and customers through human-centric AI approaches.
- Humanising AI-driven customer and employee interactions: Ensuring AI supports individuals—focusing on emotional connections, reducing effort, and enhancing genuine relationships.
- Building emotional loyalty in a digital world: Using AI to foster genuine loyalty by creating meaningful connections and reducing friction in customer and employee experiences.
- Lessons from the public and private sectors: Practical insights from industries like hospitality, healthcare, and finance to adopt AI responsibly, emphasize human involvement, and address ethical concerns.
A key focus of the conversation revolves around the human-centric approach to AI.
“AI isn’t replacing humans,” James emphasizes. “It’s here to augment what we do best—bring creativity, empathy, and intuition to decision-making.” He elaborates on how AI can proactively engage with customers by reducing friction, predicting needs, and delivering tailored solutions rooted in emotional intelligence.
The conversation also dives into practical strategies, such as running AI hackathons to foster internal innovation, aligning governance practices with ethical principles, and effectively communicating to employees how AI enhances their work instead of threatening job security.
Perhaps the most compelling takeaway from the discussion is the importance of consistency.
Building trust through AI depends on delivering consistent emotional and functional experiences every time. “It’s not just about flashy features,” James notes. “It’s about doing the basics really well, then scaling from there.”
If you’re navigating the intersection of AI and experience management, this episode offers an inspiring roadmap on how to leverage technology responsibly to secure long-term trust and loyalty.
Trust Builders – the podcast for CX & EX Professionals brought to you by Adoreboard – where we explore the IDEAS, ACTIONS and OUTCOMES that build customer trust and drive business growth.
📅 Wednesday 25th June, @ 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm UK
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