AI Will Not Replace Us
Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every corner of the consumer journey. From smarter search results and comparison tools to personalized recommendations and instant summaries, AI has undoubtedly changed, and will continue to evolve how we all research and buy products. It can scan thousands of reviews in seconds, identify patterns, compare specs, and even predict purchasing behavior. But for all of its speed and scale, AI has a hard limit, lived experience.
Product design, real-world testing, and the way media describe the experience while interacting with a product cannot be fully automated. These disciplines live in the physical world, shaped by nuance, environment, and emotion. An AI agent can tell you the insulation rating of a jacket, but it cannot stand in a freezing blizzard above tree line in Colorado, or notice how a hood collapses when the wind shifts. It can summarize geometry changes in a motorcycle or bicycle frame, but it cannot explain how updated ergonomics create a more planted, confidence-inspiring feel when pushing through a fast corner or navigating technical terrain.
AI is exceptional at aggregating information, but it does not experience consequences. It cannot test tire grip and durability on slickrock vs sand in Utah, nor will it ever be able to ride a bike for eight hours and feel how vibration builds fatigue, or how subtle changes in geography can affect wireless communication product performance between riders in a group. And it certainly cannot convey the euphoria of discovering a new trail, rounding a corner into an unexpected alpine basin, or watching a storm roll across a mountain landscape at golden hour.
Those moments, the ones that define product performance and adventure quality, the nuance information that the informed customer is looking for are not data points, they come from authentic human experiences.
This is where journalists, PR professionals, and media creators remain irreplaceable. Yes, AI tools will absolutely become part of the workflow. They already help structure narratives, organize research, analyze trends, and streamline production. Used correctly, they make professionals faster, sharper, and more efficient, but AI does not replace the real-world experiences the products have been created to elevate.
A real-world experience can only be lived by a human who can analyze conditions in real time; weather shifting unexpectedly, terrain changing underfoot, equipment performing differently under stress, or a carefully planned route requiring adaptation due to expected and unexpected events. Humans understand compromise, they recognize tradeoffs, and they understand when a feature excels in one environment but falls short in another and they can explain why that matters to a specific type of user.
PR and media professionals with a lifetime of experience bring something far more powerful to the table, context. Years of testing products across seasons, planning routes, managing logistics, and navigating real environments build a mental library that no algorithm can replicate. That experience allows professionals to tell authentic stories, provide honest guidance, and help consumers make informed decisions; not just about what to buy, but how and where to use it to the maximum value.
In the end, AI will continue to change how products are discovered and evaluated. It will influence buying behavior, speed up decision-making, and raise expectations for information access. But the stories that truly resonate are the ones that build trust, inspire confidence, and spark adventure. These stories will still be told by people who have been out there.