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The New Rules of AI Adoption: 2026 Consumer Research AI adoption is accelerating, but trust still lags behind. CapTech’s latest consumer research reveals that people are increasingly willing to use AI before they fully trust it, driven more by clear value and practical benefits than confidence in the technology itself. In this episode, CapTech Research Lead, Lea Moon, joins Brian Bischoff to discuss what their 2026 research uncovered about consumer and employee attitudes toward AI. They explore the relationship between trust, value, and adoption, why repeat usage matters more than one-time experimentation, and how organizations can encourage responsible AI adoption through transparency and user control. Listen in to learn more: Consumers and employees are willing to use AI when they see clear value, even when trust remains low.Repeat usage, not initial adoption, is the strongest indicator that AI is delivering meaningful value.Controls such as opt-out options, human escalation paths, and the ability to correct errors significantly increase AI acceptance.Organizations should focus on solving specific high-value tasks rather than leading with broad AI capabilities.Read the full research here: https://www.captechconsulting.com/articles/2026-consumer-research-the-new-rules-of-al-adoption

Consumers are creating a growing “personalization paradox” when it comes to AI in 2026. They want personalized experiences more than ever, but they’re equally anxious about how brands use their data. CapTech’s proprietary consumer research reveals that while AI-driven personalization can strongly influence purchase decisions, trust and transparency remain the biggest barriers. CapTech Principal and CX Growth Lead, Bree Basham, and Research Lead, Lea Moon, discuss what to expect with AI in 2026, what we are seeing that drives loyalty, and how brands can thoughtfully balance value and privacy. Listen in to learn more: High‑value, in‑the‑moment personalization increases willingness to share data.AI comfort is rising but opt-out options and human fallback remain essential.Trust improves when brands use plain language and transparency in data use.Consumer adoption varies by mindset – not age or demographic.Read the full research here: https://www.captechconsulting.com/articles/2025-consumer-survey-solving-the-personalization-paradox

In a landscape where AI dominates boardroom conversations, CapTech’s 2025 Executive Research reveals that while the pressure to “do AI” is intense, true value comes from a business-first, not tech-first, approach. CapTech’s CTO Brian Bischoff sits down with Sr. Consultant Maddy Stevens to discuss why: Many executives feel pressured to implement AI without clear business goals.Short-term, value-driven projects outperform long-term, vague AI mandates.Security and compliance concerns often stall innovation but can be managed with early stakeholder involvement.Employee adoption is critical; and resistance can derail even the best initiatives.Iterative, experimental approaches and clear communication drive sustainable AI success.Read the full research here: https://www.captechconsulting.com/articles/why-so-many-ai-initiatives-are-failing-to-deliver-roi

Unlock the true potential of your organization in the AI economy, where data quality, strategic focus, and reusable solutions are the keys to transformative success. In episode, host Vinnie Schoenfelder welcomes Cameron Snapp for a discussion on why AI is only as powerful as the data behind it, and how companies can avoid common pitfalls while accelerating innovation, discussing: Data quality and governance are essential for effective AI.Start with focused, well-defined problems—don’t try to solve everything at once.Reusable methods and accelerators help scale AI and integrate new data sources.AI changes job roles; those who adapt will thrive.

Agentic AI is reshaping industries, offering unparalleled opportunities for innovation and efficiency. In the latest episode of CapTech Trends, host Brian Bischoff welcomes Jason Dods and Kevin Vaughan, leaders in CapTech’s AI space, for a conversation on how agentic AI can drive value and transformation across organizations. Listen in as they explore the capabilities and future potential of agentic AI, discussing: The evolution of AI into autonomous reasoning systemsTechniques for leveraging multi-agent orchestration in various sectorsReal-world implementations in sports, entertainment, and logisticsStrategies to begin integrating agentic AI into your business processes

What transformative potential does agentic AI hold for businesses? Join host Brian Bischoff, CapTech CTO, along with Liz McBride and Shane Sullivan, leaders in CapTech's AI space, as they discuss what agentic AI means for the future and how it can catalyze change across organizations. Tune in to explore: Agentic AI’s pivotal role in achieving business outcomesBuilding trust and mitigating bias in AI systemsWhy the human role is essential in AIExamples of practical AI applications in healthcare and finance

How can AI help overcome business challenges and enhance customer experiences? Join us as host Vinnie Schoenfelder, CapTech Principal, Strategic Innovation, Brian Bischoff, CapTech CTO, and Bree Basham, CapTech CX Lead, discuss CapTech’s annual tech trends and what 2025 has in store for organizations and customers.  Tune in to hear:  Why agentic AI in automation mattersHow AI-powered data accelerators work When hyper-personalized customer loyalty becomes crucialWhy modernization with AI is essential

Listen in as we discuss how CapTech’s Annual Consumer AI Study findings have evolved. Brian Bischoff, a CapTech Principal leading our Practice Areas & Services, and Elliott Hartz, a Senior Consultant in our CX practice, join Vinnie for a discussion around what’s changed, what’s surprised them, and how organizations can positively adopt AI technologies for their customers.  Over half of consumers are willing to pay a monthly fee for enhanced AI-powered benefits.The shift from simply "trying out" AI to demonstrating clear ROI from AI initiatives.Generative AI’s widespread adoption in both personal and professional settings.

In this episode, Gaby Olivera, Customer Experience Senior Consultant, and Reid Baswell, Technical Director, join Vinnie to discuss multilingualism in conversation design, and how prioritizing this customer experience leads to enhanced brand loyalty. Tune in to hear more about:   How 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language.Why language is no longer limited to written word; brands should consider how emojis, GIFs, memes, audio, pronouns, and color translate across languages. Incorporating multilingualism early into your design considerations to save time and resources. How AI can accelerate the process — but a human touch is still required.The technical underpinnings of internationalization, including locale codes and responsive design.

In this episode, CapTech Principal, Vinnie Schoenfelder is joined by Technical Director, Shannon Flowerday (Customer Experience), Manager, Carrie Ryan (Customer Experience), and Principal, Jon Bradway (Sports & Media) to discuss how integrating data into your customer experience strategies can grow brand loyalty and increase revenue for your organization. Tune in to hear more about: How a “Did You Forget?” online ordering feature resulted in an extra $10M per year for one manufacturing company.Consumers are willing to share their data if there is a clear benefit brought to them with said data.How personalized notifications achieved a 4x increase in engagement vs. standard notifications. For consumers, if the basic tasks they need to do are hard, they have no interest in spending more time with that brand.The “first quarter problem” sports organizations are facing and how data-driven customer experience can help solve this and influence fan behavior.

In this episode, CapTech Principal, Vinnie Schoenfelder is joined by CX Manager, Carrie Ryan and Systems Integration Director Kevin Vaughan to discuss the increasing expectations consumers have around innovation and how they are more accepting of AI in their daily lives.  Tune in to hear more about:   How to strike the balance between the user experience and product usability vs. being innovative for innovation's sake. Compared to last year, consumers are more willing to share data because they're aware of the benefits AI provides for personalization, efficiency, and more.  The key to integrating AI into the daily lives of consumers is to understand their customers and their needs.  If your company’s innovation cycle is too slow to release, companies that are leaning heavily into AI will surpass you quickly.

Given an automation mandate in 2021, MNX, a time-critical logistics company, started their AI journey with CapTech to focus on operational precision and efficiency.  Tim Kutz, CIO of MNX Global Logistics, joins Managing Director Michelle Meyer, and Principal Vinnie Schoenfelder to discuss the swift adoption of AI over the past 15 months. Tune in to hear: “If you don’t have good data you’re done.”The importance of having a tight team of business and IT folks on your team.Creating an adaptable culture when navigating the inevitable uncertainty of AI.Moving from operational AI goals to customer experience AI goals in 2024.“People hear AI on the news and TV and think it’s this is a daunting thing. It’s not. It’s something new, like cloud or anything else you need to understand and get the right people to help you. But it is moving so fast.” – Tim Kutz, MNX CIO

In this episode, we are joined by leaders from rvatech/:  Nick Serfass,  rvatech/ CEO Todd Dube, rvatech/ Data + AI Summit Co-Chair, Analytics and AI leader at CarMaxMeghan Holt,  rvatech/ board member, CapTech Managing Director rvatech/ is a technology trade organization focused on igniting the growth of the technology sector and the technology community within the greater Richmond, Virginia region. Tune in as we discuss the upcoming rvatech/ Data and AI conference, practical technology applications and career opportunities.  Register for the rvatech/ Data + AI Summit on March 28, 2024 here.

In this special edition episode of CapTech Trends, guest co-hosts and CapTech AI leaders Brian Bischoff and Jason Snook are joined by Ajit Mandgi, the Director of Analytics at Dominion Energy, and Paul Brooks, Professor and Chair in the Department of Information Systems at VCU School of Business.   Tune in to learn how AI is impacting various industries and gain helpful insights to navigate the future as this technology continues to evolve. In this panel discussion we cover:   How ChatGPT has impacted higher education and how educators have quickly adapted their teaching strategies.The transformational impact generative AI has had on the energy and utilities industry.The responsibility of leaders to help organizations embrace and navigate AI - and keep up the momentum.What the AI transformation will look like in the next few years.

AI is a once-in-a-lifetime technology advancement and it's here to stay - so what does that mean for your business and how do you get started? Listen in as Vinnie chats with CapTech AI leads, Fellow Jason Snook, and CX Director LesLea Carey and we discuss:  Consumers are expecting AI, so how will you meet that need in 2024? AI is more than ChatGPT - the endless AI use cases include dynamic pricing, personalization, automation, anomaly detection, and more. Why you should move now and how to push past the analysis paralysis and unknowns. Excellent AI examples from Walmart and Dominos.