AI can predict, recommend and act in an instant, but customers still need time to interpret what is happening and decide whether they are comfortable proceeding.
Patricia Camden, US Marketing, CX and Loyalty Leader at EY, calls the resulting mismatch the “human tempo gap,” warning that automation can undermine trust when it gets ahead of the person.
To ensure their brands don't fall behind, CX leaders must be prepared to build AI experiences that aren't centered on friction removal but preserving customer control.
In conversation with CX Today, Patricia explained why brands must move beyond optimising AI-driven experiences for speed alone.
“We think about it as today in the AI experience age, we design for confidence," she said.
"We don't design just for completion.”
The History Behind CX Speed
Today, AI-driven speed is beginning to move faster than a person can comfortably comprehend to make a confident decision, as the original digital experience design was built around removing friction.
When technology was often the slower part of the interaction, companies that offered fewer clicks, faster page loads and shorter forms generally offered a better experience.
However, AI is changing that relationship by inferring intent and moving customers through journeys before they may have processed the previous step.
“That's what we've been calling the tempo gap. It's that moment when the machine speed outpaces our human comprehension," she explained.
"And for me, that's not just a UX issue. That's actually an issue of trust.”
This creates what can be described as “tempo shock,” particularly when AI makes an interaction feel as though it has progressed without the customer fully understanding how or why.
Camden explained:
“Tempo shock is this feeling of wait, what the heck just happened? How did we get here so fast? Did I miss something along the way?”
In AI-sensitive sectors involving personal data, customers may need more time to understand terms and consider whether they want to proceed.
An automated decision or personalized recommendation may appear efficient, but if the customer does not understand the rationale behind it, speed can undermine confidence rather than strengthen the experience.
In fact, this issue becomes more significant as brands face global AI pressure, as EY’s Future Consumer Index tracked declining consumer trust, contributing to the “age of the skeptical consumer.”
These customers are more likely to scrutinize automated decisions and personalized interactions more closely.
Camden emphasized:
