Designing the future of AI: why consumer-centricity is the next tech revolution

Euroconsumers CEO Antonio Balhanas on why technologies like AI can only be transformative when they are designed with people at the core.

When Steve Jobs and Jony Ive transformed technology with the iPhone, they didn’t just build a device, they reimagined how we interact with the world. Their genius wasn’t just in innovation, but in human design.

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Today, with artificial intelligence evolving at breathtaking speed, we are on the cusp of another seismic shift. Visionaries like Apple’s Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are once again redefining how intelligence and design converge.

AI is a societal revolution

But AI is more than a technological revolution: it’s a societal one. This moment carries a powerful lesson: technology becomes transformative only when it is designed with people at its core – and not when it is just engineered for progress’ sake.

At Euroconsumers, this belief is central to our mission. We represent the voice of millions of consumers across Europe who deserve to benefit from AI’s promise without sacrificing their rights, agency or trust.

As AI becomes embedded in our homes, cities, and personal choices, our responsibility as a consumer organization sharpens: to ensure that human needs, rights, and experiences shape the future of artificial intelligence, not the other way around.

We call this consumer-centric AI.

Why consumer-centric AI matters

AI is unlocking breakthroughs, from preventive healthcare to personalized services and smarter mobility. But these gains bring new risks: bias in algorithms, lack of explainability, exploitation of personal data, and rising asymmetries of power.

If left unchecked, we risk repeating earlier errors of the digital age, where speed and scale outpaced ethics and inclusivity.

This is where Euroconsumers steps in

We bring consumer intelligence into the AI equation, not just to test for safety or performance, but to challenge and influence AI systems based on fairness, inclusiveness, transparency, and long-term trust.

We push for technology that is consumer-centric, that works for people—protecting their autonomy, amplifying their voice, and reflecting their values.

Building trust in the age of intelligent systems

Trust is the new currency of the digital economy. But trust cannot be bought, it must be built. Consumers must feel confident that AI understands them, respects them, and works for them. That it will not manipulate, discriminate, or operate in the dark.

That is why Euroconsumers advocates for responsible AI by design: systems that are auditable, explainable, and accountable.

We serve as an essential bridge between innovation and everyday life. Our deep-rooted connection with consumers, combined with our track record in product testing and digital rights, uniquely positions us to lead the human-centric AI conversation in Europe.

Beyond innovation: inclusion, agency, and meaning

If AI is to be the next iPhone moment, a paradigm shift that redefines how we live, it must go beyond novelty. It must be designed for inclusion, responsibility and meaning.

This means building systems that reflect Europe’s diversity and protect society’s most vulnerable. It means ensuring equitable access to AI’s benefits and holding tech developers to higher standards of ethical accountability. And it means fostering open public dialogue, not behind closed doors.

At Euroconsumers, we are driving this agenda by:

Collaborating with EU policymakers and global regulators to develop ethical and inclusive AI frameworks.

Partnering with industry to embed consumer-first principles from ideation to deployment.

Educating consumers so they can confidently engage with AI-powered products and services.

Advancing research on how AI affects rights, freedoms and market fairness.

From a technology race to a values race

This new era of AI raises defining questions that go beyond capabilities:

• Can advanced research translate into meaningful, trusted consumer experiences? We’ve seen how one billion users adopted ChatGPT in record time, despite Google having similar capabilities for years. Why? Because innovation without relevance doesn’t scale.
• Will the platforms of tomorrow be built on AI models—or will they be won by those who design the best human interface? If AI becomes the next operating system, ambient interfaces like AR or voice-first agents may replace the smartphone as the primary medium. Will this evolution be built for efficiency—or for empathy?
• Can we shift from a technology race to a values race? One where inclusion, sustainability, and wellbeing become the competitive edge—not just speed or power?

These are not just questions for Silicon Valley, they’re strategic inflection points for Europe, and for any society that wants technology to be a force for good.

The convergence of consumer intelligence and artificial intelligence

The next tech revolution won’t be about AI alone, it will be about the fusion of consumer intelligence and artificial intelligence. It will be about listening, not just predicting. Empowering, not just optimizing.

This is where Euroconsumers stands. We are ready to lead a movement where AI serves not just individual consumers, but the collective good. Where every algorithm is tested against what really matters to people: fairness, dignity, safety, transparency, and freedom of choice.

A call for action

The decisions we make today will define the digital societies of tomorrow. At Euroconsumers, we are committed to ensuring that AI evolves in service of humanity. So it enhances, not diminishes, our rights, trust, and quality of life.

We invite innovators, regulators, designers, and citizens to join us in this mission. Because the future of AI isn’t just about intelligence. It’s about values. And we must design it, together.