Last year, there were some huge announcements from the tech industry. Several came from the world’s most famous brands, whereas others were from innovative start-ups looking to disrupt established industries. But how do we know which are simply marketing hype and which will truly have an impact on the lives of customers? Here are five that will shape the future of customer experience:

1: Falling cost of prediction

The influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in our day-to-day lives has been growing for years, but AI-based prediction became a mainstream tool for brands in 2018. It can make a big difference to the customer experience. First, we will see the arrival of predictive commerce, as companies forecast your future purchases faster than you can think – this is already creating a big part of Amazon’s business. Second, as AI-based prediction becomes more commonplace, human interpretation will become more scarce – and so will increase in value.

2: Checkout-free shopping

The announcement of AmazonGo created a huge buzz in 2016, and people seemed genuinely excited about the idea of shopping in-store without queuing at a checkout. Revenue per square metre of the concept stores has been so strong that Amazon has now announced it plans to open 3,000 across the US over the next three years. Not to be outdone, China’s largest retailer, JD.com, has announced it will open 1,000 per day over a similar period.

Meanwhile, start-ups such as British company MishiPay are trying to make this customer experience possible even for small, independent retailers. In the space of just two years, cashierless shopping has gone from crazy concept to something that could soon be the norm, offering a fast, convenient experience that people will soon expect.

3: The AI battle between the US and China

When Google’s Deepmind defeated the reigning human champion at Go in 2016, it was a pivotal moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence. Not only did it demonstrate how powerful AI had become, but, in China, seeing a foreign company win at one of their national games triggered a huge wave of investment into AI development.

As a result, ‘China AI Town’ has become a 2km2 campus filled with companies and researchers working on every possible application for AI that you can imagine. Some of the developments emerging are in the fields of image and language recognition, which will have big implications for customer data and experience.

4: Cars become data centres

We’ve all heard the stories about tech companies using smartphones to monitor customer behaviour, but now it seems car manufacturers are getting in on the act.

General Motors has invested heavily in smart cars and autonomous driving, and recently admitted to ‘listening in’ to how passengers use in-car entertainment systems. Its goal is to understand more about what customers want, because – as we move towards driverless vehicles – a car will become a powerful entertainment and advertising platform.

Another discussion is around which AI assistants will be used in your car. In 2018, Toyota started integrating Amazon’s Alexa in its vehicles, Nissan, Renault and Volvo partnered with Google, while Mercedes created its own version. Cars have become computers on wheels, and this will drive new business models in the coming years.

5: Jeff Bezos’ microwave oven

When Amazon launched a microwave that integrated Alexa this year, the critics were harsh. However, the company is clearly launching a microwave to demonstrate how powerful it can be to incorporate Alexa into other household devices. It recognises that voice is soon going to be the primary interface for customers – and it wants to make sure its software runs these devices.

Professor Steven Van Belleghem’s latest book is Customers the Day After Tomorrow