Your Boldest AI Prediction

[DianaGomez]

Let's look ahead. In 5 years, what's a common task in your role that will be completely automated by AI?

Share your prediction, and maybe a suggestion for what you'll do with all that free time.

[jimwrubel]

I can't predict "completely automated" but I expect that for B2B purchases the majority of the process will be conducted by AI agents. A human working at a company that is seeking a service provider or complex piece of software will write a "tiny RFP" in the form of a prompt, and an AI assistant armed with knowledge of the company's needs, budget, and context will conduct independent research and pull togther a shortlist. If it has questions for solution providers that aren't covered by their available content, such as case studies or reference accounts that match the company's profile, it will converse with the solution provider's AI Agent, which is trained on its entire knowledgebase. It might be possible for the solution provider's Agent to give a demo to the company's AI Assistant, and the assistant can summarize the demo, including key highlights, and include them as part of the shortlist.

I'm not willing to predict that AI will make purchase decisions for items with large pricetags but I can absolutely see a world where 75% of the source selection process is entirely automated and happens over the course of about an hour.

[DianaGomez]

Thanks for sharing your perspective, @jimwrubel. 😀 I can see AI taking over most of the legwork while humans handle the final calls.

Do you think this shift will change how sales teams are structured in the future?

[jimwrubel]

I think everyone whose job involves sittingmost of the day in a chair that swivels  needs to adapt or risk being left behind. We've already seen the impact of AI outreach on BDR staffing, and I expect businesses to need fewer salespeople when AI takes care of most of the funnel. It'll also be harder to justify large commission rates when your job is basically to handle closing an already convinced prospect.

[Jaycee_Lewis]

Hey, @jimwrubel 👋 Great points. I sense that there is still room for high-context, high-impact work for sales, but 100% agree that things are going to continue to look quite unfamiliar.

– Jaycee