In the not-too-distant future, your first stop on the internet might not be a browser at all. Instead, it could be a voice agent, a context-aware assistant or a summarizing AI that listens, digests, and replies, delivering distilled insights rather than a list of 10 blue links. As Suliman Gaouda, Regional Vice-President, Middle East & Africa at Sitecore Middle East, warns: people are no longer scrolling through pages of search results. They’re asking questions and expecting a single clear answer.
This shift from browsing to briefing isn’t just incremental; it’s transformative. The very logic of human-computer interaction is being rewritten. Brands that cling to legacy expectations of clicks and impressions risk becoming invisible in a world where digital assistants become the new gatekeepers to audiences.
The New Front Door: Assistant-Mediated Journeys
In the emerging paradigm, your customer’s path to you may begin not on Google, but on Alexa, Siri, or a next-generation intelligent interface. Rather than selecting among competing results, users now expect assistants to resolve ambiguity, summarise content, and deliver authoritative responses.
Gaouda emphasises: “Assistant-mediated journeys are fast becoming the new entry point for engagement.” No longer is the goal to attract clicks — the goal is to ensure your content is machine-digestible, correct, and clear.
Brands must now think about how digital agents interpret, summarize, and curate their message, not just how humans consume it. Content becomes not a static asset but a structured system — indexed, semantic, and modular. Those brands that optimize for clarity and consistency will appear first in the “voice feed” of tomorrow. As Gaouda notes, “It’s no longer about getting lots of clicks. Instead, it’s about making sure your information is accurate, well-organized, and easy for machines to understand.”This is not idle speculation. McKinsey’s State of AI 2025 report shows that 71 percent of organizations already use AI in at least one business function, up from 65 percent in 2024, accelerating the pace of how people access and act on information.
Trust, Transparency, and the AI Differentiator
The KPMG 2025 Customer Experience (CEE) Report reveals that UAE brands achieved a 1.5% rebound in customer experience scores, outpacing the global average. The report stresses that trust, transparency, and empathy are once again taking centre stage in the AI era.
Gonçalo Traquina, Partner and Head of Customer Transformation at KPMG Lower Gulf, says: “This year’s findings reflect broad improvements in customer satisfaction and service quality across sectors. This is proof that technology investments are paying off, but as more UAE brands invest in AI, they must remember that success lies in making those experiences feel human. Our research shows that empathy is not just a nice-to-have but a key differentiator that can build trust, personalisation, and deliver business and brand impact.”
That aligns closely with Gaouda’s advice: “Today, being seen is about being trusted by digital assistants and agents. Brands should focus on sharing reliable, consistent information and avoid marketing ‘noise.’ Be transparent, show where your information comes from, and respect privacy.”
In practice, this means building credibility as currency. To stand out in an AI-mediated world, brands must ensure every fact, claim, and tone aligns with truth and empathy — not hype.
The New Commerce: From Question to Checkout
A powerful implication of briefing-first interactions is that the journey from question to purchase is shrinking. Gaouda predicts: “With these new digital assistants, people can go straight from asking a question to making a purchase without extra steps.”
This opens the door to new revenue models — from subscriptions and personalised bundles to buying directly through the assistant. In a region where digital adoption is surging, the timing is perfect: 90% of GCC CEOs expect revenue growth this year, and 70 percent believe GenAI will raise profitability within 12 months.
“The region’s confidence in AI creates the perfect environment for UAE brands to lead the next wave of intelligent experiences,” Gaouda adds. “By connecting their content and services to these assistants, they can lead the way in creating smarter, more personal customer experiences.”
At Sitecore, this vision takes shape through composable digital experience platforms — like XM Cloud, Content Hub, and CDP which connect governed content with APIs that assistants can act on. This ensures not just discoverability, but transaction-readiness.
Rethinking Infrastructure for the Agent Era
The shift to briefing isn’t only about interfaces, it’s about infrastructure. Businesses need systems that are connected, secure, and flexible, Gaouda explains. That means real-time data, robust information governance, and tools that let multiple platforms work together seamlessly.
In the UAE, strong data privacy laws and sovereign cloud frameworks provide a strong foundation. But Gaouda cautions that compliance alone isn’t enough: “Companies that build open and well-managed systems will be ready for the next generation of digital assistants.”
To thrive, brands must rethink their data architecture to enable assistants to query, interpret, and act responsibly and in context.
Ethics, Regulation: When AI Speaks for You
When digital assistants become the brand’s voice, accountability becomes existential. Gaouda stresses, “When AI assistants speak for your brand, you must be responsible for what they say.”
In markets like the UAE, brands already operate under strong data and AI governance regimes. Yet Gaouda argues that self-regulation is equally crucial: “Companies should be open about how they use AI, keep records of interactions, check for bias, and always have people involved in important decisions.”
As KPMG’s trusted-AI frameworks highlight, transparency, oversight, and human judgment must underpin all AI-mediated communication. Regular audits, bias detection, and clear provenance for data will become non-negotiables — not just for compliance, but for credibility.
The Road Ahead
The future of the internet won’t vanish, but it will disappear behind the interface. As AI agents mediate what we see, hear, and buy, visibility will depend on being the trusted voice in the assistant’s ear. Those who structure, govern, and humanise their content will be heard first. Those who don’t may fade into algorithmic silence. As Gaouda concludes,“The brands that build open, governed ecosystems will be the ones that can plug easily into next-generation assistants and experiences.”
Staff Writer
As a passionate storyteller and content writer, Kushmita Bose loves weaving narratives that inform, inspire, and entertain. Whether she’s unraveling tech revolutions, dissecting industry reports, or bringing a brand’s journey to life, Kushmita thrives on transforming ideas into captivating stories.
When she’s not busy crafting content, you’ll probably find her daydreaming about her next travel adventure.