In a gathering of over 50 CXOs, CMOs, and digital marketing leaders at the exclusive Martech Mixer, former Tech Mahindra executive and now Founder & CEO of HumanizeTech.ai, Jagdish Mitra, delivered a keynote that explored the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human connection.
Focusing on the concept of “empathy intelligence,” the keynote emphasized that the future of marketing lies in AI’s ability not just to automate and optimize, but to understand human emotions, context, and intent. “It’s not just about data anymore—it’s about making technology more human,” he said, setting the tone for the evening’s discussions around the fusion of tech and emotion.
Having coined the term during his research, Mitra built HumanizeTech.ai to develop Agentic AI—AI platforms that simulate human-like behaviour and enable the agents to do a combination of activities that delivers faster and first time right solutions in enterprise environments, reduce dependency on the vagaries of quality of talent. The platform currently focuses on SAP and is expanding to integrate with ServiceNow and Salesforce. According to him, agent-based AI performs up to 60-70% of tasks traditionally carried out by humans, opening the door for role evolution rather than role displacement.
One key theme was the myth that empathy remains the sole domain of human interaction. Citing studies from MIT, Japan, and Europe, he noted that users often could not distinguish between AI-generated empathetic responses and those written by humans. As AI systems learn from data patterns, emotional intelligence is no longer out of reach.
Mitra pointed to data suggesting that brands known for empathetic engagement enjoy customer loyalty rates upwards of 80% and trust levels above 60%. These numbers, he explained, make empathy not just a moral imperative, but a strategic differentiator.
The role of technology in enhancing customer understanding, sentiment, was another focal point. Tools like Sprinklr, Google cloud NLP AI, Affectiva, Microsoft Seeing AI are already using AI to listen, assess, inclusive and quantify emotional cues in customer interactions. Conversational AI platforms with EQ like Intercom Fin, Woebot, Haptik are emerging that can detect sentiment, context, and even mental fatigue—offering responses calibrated for tone and time of day.
“Unlike humans, machines don’t get tired,” he explained. “An AI system can deliver consistent emotional resonance at 10 AM or 4 PM, which is transformative for industries like mental health, customer support, and brand communication.”
However, he cautioned against the hidden risks, especially around bias. Tools must be carefully chosen and trained to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or misrepresenting user sentiment. In an unexpected twist, Mitra acknowledged that even companies like Facebook’s Fairness flow detects gender/ racial bass —previously criticized for data-driven bias—have developed platforms aimed at mitigating some of these issues.
The keynote also offered examples from the Indian market. Streaming platforms, for instance, are leveraging user mood data—from music habits to time-of-day preferences—to shape hyper-personalized content recommendations.
Indian brands are starting to not just use Ai tools for marketing to name a few Nestle India for Maggi crisis, Swiggy , Tata Tea and CRED but also for exploring empathetic connects with its consumers.
Yet, he warned that not all implementations are successful. Brands have faced setbacks when deploying chatbot-based AI that failed to meet empathy benchmarks, leading to customer attrition like Fake empathy in Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner ad, H&M’s coolest monkey hoodie backlash.
Mitra stressed the importance of starting small: “Build proof points with a few trusted partners, Balance AI + human and measure Impact . Technology is changing fast so one has to be agile to notice new products or technologies coming in and adapt and include them. That’s the only way to move past the trust deficit AI still faces.”
He underscored that as consumers shift from browsing static websites to expecting dynamic conversations, brands must invest in AI that can hold meaningful interactions. It’s not about replacing creativity but enhancing it with deeper insights and adaptive messaging.
As marketing continues to sit at the intersection of human emotion and algorithmic precision, the keynote closed on a call to action: embrace AI with responsibility, empathy, and a clear focus on building trust.
With rising consumer expectations and a growing appetite for personalized, emotionally intelligent experiences, the MartechAI Mixer served as a timely reminder that the future of marketing is not just smart—it’s human-aware.
