Building a personal relationship with clients isn’t something you can rush. Only over time can you begin to earn their trust, anticipate their needs and help them accomplish long-term goals. This process can begin to feel quite arduous and time-consuming.
As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, the allure of automation, instant responses, and less work on your plate makes its adoption seem like a no-brainer. You have a strong client base. Your shared history demonstrates that you can provide results. You have already put in the initial face time. Utilizing an AI agent will save you both time and allow your client to get the answers they need, even when you are unavailable. What is there to dislike?
Why AI customer engagement creates a trust gap
The 2026 Global Customer Engagement Review by Braze surveyed over 2,200 marketing leaders to identify where AI is succeeding and where it risks damaging customer relationships.
“While 93% of marketing leaders believe AI helps them accurately understand customer needs, only 53% of consumers agree,” said Mallory Friese, senior director of content marketing for Braze, in a recent webinar. “This disconnect is often due to a reluctance on the consumer's side to share their data without a clear value exchange. In fact, 27% of consumers currently refuse to share any data with AI agents, even when promised a superior or more personalized experience.”
How marketers should introduce AI agents to clients
While you are integrating LLMs and AI agents into your workflow, keep this hesitance in mind. Take the time to evaluate use cases and slowly introduce new tools to your client base.
“We find ourselves somewhere in the middle of what we're calling a risk mitigation loop,” said Friese. “AI has tremendous capability, but it's clashing with low consumer trust.”
Why transparency matters when using AI in client interactions
As in any strong relationship, communication is key. Be upfront and transparent about AI use and how it will impact their experience. Before you bombard your contacts with data-sharing requests and big changes, let them see a few positive outcomes.
Everybody makes mistakes, including AI. Keeping communication open and honest about inaccuracies can help mitigate the uncertainty your clients may be experiencing.
How AI can weaken direct customer relationships
The Customer Engagement Review found that 63% of marketing leaders say AI intermediation has weakened their ability to maintain direct relationships. Rather than sitting back and letting this happen, take action to keep guardrails in place around AI use and make a plan to maintain close contact. What works for you today might not work tomorrow, so keep your strategy fluid. Experiment with new ways to implement AI and pay close attention to consumer feedback.
How to balance AI automation with human connection
Now that LLMs have entered the picture, people expect fast responses and someone to anticipate their needs, but get easily frustrated when interactions lack empathy and human touch. Taking the time now to strike a balance between human interaction and automation will keep you, your team, and your clients happy.
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