By Nicolas Limare - nicolas@digitalproductleader.com

Is AI Hyper-personalisation the future for UX or a we risk we can't afford?

As AI transforms the landscape of user experience, hyper-personalisation has emerged as the latest frontier. We’re moving beyond simple customization—where users make deliberate choices—to personalisation driven by algorithms that predict preferences based on behavior. Now, with advancements in AI, the goal has shifted to individualisation, tailoring experiences so precisely that they feel uniquely designed for each user.

This leap, often dubbed "personalisation to the max," is thrilling for designers and businesses alike. It promises to create unprecedented connections between users and digital products. But with great precision comes even greater responsibility—and risk.

The Allure and the Double-Edged Sword

Hyper-personalisation has the potential to revolutionize industries. Imagine a video streaming service suggesting not just shows you might like, but curating a viewing experience tailored to your unique mood that day. Or an e-commerce platform presenting products you didn’t know you needed but suddenly can’t live without.

Yet, there’s a darker side. As Forbes recently noted, hyper-personalisation relies heavily on trust, which can easily be undermined if users feel manipulated or deceived. AI-driven systems, while impressive, are not infallible. AI hallucinations—instances where AI generates inaccurate or fabricated results—could erode user confidence in these personalized experiences. If the recommendations feel wrong, forced, or intrusive, hyper-personalisation risks alienating the very users it seeks to engage.

The real challenge: Trust and Transparency

The UX community has long grappled with the balance between delivering convenience and respecting user autonomy. Hyper-personalisation complicates this further by introducing new challenges:

• Transparency: Users often don’t understand how or why AI makes certain decisions. As the Interaction Design Foundation highlights, transparent interfaces that explain AI logic are essential to maintain user confidence.

• Consistency: Flawed AI outputs or shifts in tone can disrupt user experiences, leading to frustration or distrust.

• Ethics: When does hyper-personalisation cross the line into manipulation? What happens if brands prioritize sales over genuine user needs?

These issues raise questions about whether we, as designers and strategists, are truly ready to harness this technology responsibly—or whether we’re rushing headlong into a future with unintended consequences.

Questions we must answer

As hyper-personalisation becomes more sophisticated, it’s time to ask hard questions:

• How do we ensure that hyper-personalisation serves users first, not just corporate goals?

• What measures can we implement to make AI systems more transparent, reliable, and ethical?

• Are we, as designers, prepared to take accountability for the risks of AI in UX?

Hyper-personalisation is undoubtedly an opportunity, but it’s also a test. How we handle it will define the future of user experience—and determine whether users trust us to guide them through an increasingly AI-driven world.

So, what do you think? Are we UX leaders ready for the challenges ahead, or is hyper-personalisation a risk we’re not fully prepared to manage? Let’s start the conversation.

Read further:

• “AI: Hyper-Personalized Marketing And Its Ethical Implications” Forbes (July 2023) https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2024/07/16/ai-hyper-personalized-marketing-and-its-ethical-implications/

• “In Defense of AI Hallucinations” Wired (December 2023) https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-in-defense-of-ai-hallucinations-chatgpt/

• "AI Challenges and How You Can Overcome Them: How to Design for Trust" Interaction Design Foundation (May 2023)https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/ai-challenges-and-how-you-can-overcome-them-how-to-design-for-trust