The proliferation of artificial intelligence is leading to a collapse of trust in digital communication, particularly in sales and marketing. Author Arnon Shimoni writes that the near-zero cost of creating content has flooded inboxes and social media with AI-generated messages. This makes it almost impossible for people to distinguish genuine human outreach from automated communication.
According to Shimoni, the result is that potential customers are increasingly ignoring all unsolicited contact. He cites the example of a sales executive who no longer engages with emails or unknown calls because he cannot verify the sender’s authenticity. The effort to determine if a message is real now outweighs the potential benefit of engaging with it.
This erosion of trust requires a fundamental shift in strategy. Shimoni argues that companies must move from a traditional marketing funnel, which focuses on generating leads, to a “trust funnel” centered on building long-term relationships and credibility. He states that customers often already know they need a certain product. Their main question is why they should buy it from one specific company among hundreds of competitors making identical claims.
To overcome this, Shimoni advises businesses to prioritize genuine human connection. While AI can help identify opportunities for relevant outreach, it cannot replace the human element required to build lasting loyalty. He concludes that earning and maintaining trust remains a fundamentally human task.
