The relationship between humans and machines has evolved since the first time man put a wheel on an axle. From the Industrial Revolution to today, technology has improved both business productivity and the lives of the general population. As artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced apps and devices move into every area of our lives, the relationship moves from people interacting with products to products proactively interacting with people.

While digital assistants like Amazon Echo, Cortana, Google Home and Siri use AI primarily for voice commands and connectivity, they are starting to learn based on past requests. As more advanced AI apps are added, the amount these assistants can actually assist will expand greatly.

At the same time, if you have an app, you’re most likely wondering: How do we get more usage? How do I get higher engagement? How do I get a higher conversion rate?

The answer is personalization that matches who the user is and what they need. For example, proactively engaging when a consumer is likely to want or need a specific service will help solidify the product’s value to that person. It is here where AI can be leveraged. Understanding consumer personas and anticipating their receptiveness to specific services at a precise moment closes the gap between online and offline personalization. Many have predicted that consumers will get used to products proactively delivering what they want or need and will become frustrated with those that don’t.

The need for offline or physical world personalization is equally essential in mobile apps. The world of mobile apps has impacted everyone. With more than five million apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play combined, app usage has moved digital usage from desktop first to mobile first. With this shift, the mobile user experience has become the cornerstone of customer engagement. Research from Statista reported that people spend more than three hours a day using their mobile device, and as a result, mobile devices accounted for 34% of all e-commerce in US retail and sales in 2017 — that number is expected to reach 40% in 2018.

Gartner says that 2018 is the year of connectivity that understands users. They paint the ultimate user-centric future — the coffeemaker that knows your favorite brewing temperature and when you want your coffee, the thermostat that adjusts as you drive home from work and the speaker that suggests user-specific playlists.

To do these things, mobile devices must know the behavior of users in the real world. This is what’s driving the leaders of the world’s five million mobile apps to seek to enhance their products with ingredient technology that understands who a user is and what they need in key moments throughout their day. In other words, what is the most relevant experience or content, and what is the right moment it should be served or shared with the consumer? More than smart, it’s actually intelligent.

Like other ingredient technologies, this isn’t a completely different consumer product, it is an ingredient that improves existing offerings. Similar to how Intel’s processors enable faster CPU performance or how Dolby’s full-bandwidth channels provide better surround sound quality, contextual awareness isn’t required to create a product, but it enables a better experience for the consumer.