David A. Hamel : “More than a differentiator, AI drives the experience”
As Vice President of Strategy, CX, and Design, David A. Hamel drives the growth of all nventive practices, enabling our teams to create the best digital experiences. Artificial intelligence (AI) is central to this evolution, enhancing user experiences with features that will soon become indispensable. Here’s a closer look at AI’s role at the heart of our digital solutions development.
Hi David! First, could you tell me about your role at nventive?
My role at nventive is Vice President of Strategy, CX, and Design. I'm deeply involved in initial discussions with clients, especially in the ideation phase. My goal is to define what would make a good digital product for them. This involves strategic discussions and reflections on possible solutions that could be envisioned.
Having been with nventive for 10 years, I have a solid perspective on the projects we’ve completed and their successes, as well as on the overall software development process. This enables me to guide our clients, whether on typical project structures or on systems we’ve previously worked with. Often, solutions involve several integration points within our clients' digital ecosystems, and we need to consider these to maximize potential.
Artificial intelligence is a hot topic in our industry. How does nventive leverage the opportunities provided by AI?
Since 2017, we began using AI tools provided by vendors like Azure, Google, or AWS, such as image recognition, text recognition, or audio transcription tools. But it was in 2022, with the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, that AI usage became much more frequent in our projects, impacting various aspects.
For the past two years, our digital experiences have actively incorporated AI. Multiple AI tools are typically combined to deliver a final experience that meets expectations. We’ve also developed tools to assess model performance on tasks to be accomplished.
How do you view AI integration in a digital solution project?
There are four areas to consider: the user, the process, the technology, and the costs.
Both internally and externally, AI is primarily used for productivity and efficiency gains. We always consider the end user since there’s a significant difference in user expectations based on their level of expertise with the task, whether they’re novices or experts. Currently, these solutions act as decision-support tools that boost user efficiency and provide the flexibility for them to fine-tune the outcomes to better suit their needs.
We mainly rely on major platforms to integrate existing AI tools into our projects. Every AI implementation involves costs and strategic choices. We need to evaluate what is feasible technically, how to deliver a user experience that remains smooth and intuitive, and what the financial impact will be. AI should never be imposed as a pure technical solution; it must integrate naturally into business processes and the user interface to deliver true value.
Would you say AI is an accelerator of user experience?
It depends on the context. AI can improve certain aspects of the user experience, but it all depends on how it’s integrated.
It can make the user experience smoother, but it’s essential to clearly define what the user expects from interacting with the AI to avoid disappointment. Integration must be designed so that the user knows how to interact with the technology while maintaining a critical approach to the results. AI doesn’t do everything on its own; it must be well-supported with complementary features to truly enhance the experience. And it should improve the experience without adding complexity.
What makes you believe AI is here to stay and isn’t just a passing trend?
AI has been developing for decades, and while recent media attention may give the impression of a fad, the reality is quite different. What has changed is how AI is made accessible through conversational interfaces like ChatGPT. This democratization doesn’t mean everything is new; rather, technologies that already existed are now available to everyone.
AI brings real productivity gains, like image retouching that used to require several steps and can now be done with a single click. These advancements show that AI is here to stay because it makes many tasks more efficient and easier. It’s comparable to the arrival of mobile phones—it wasn’t a trend but a technological revolution that profoundly transformed the way we live and work.
What tools are you closely monitoring for their potential to transform app development as we know it?
I’m keeping a close eye on the developments of major players like Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Apple. They have a huge influence on the market, especially on the evolution of user interfaces with AI. As personal assistants improve, we need to ensure that the systems we develop can seamlessly integrate with these technologies. This will be the next major step: user interfaces that allow people to interact with AI systems in a natural, intuitive way.
What is your vision for nventive in the coming years in terms of artificial intelligence?
I believe AI will remain a core pillar of our offering, not just as a technical add-on. AI shouldn’t be seen as a novelty or gimmick, but as an element that directly meets user expectations, as users become increasingly familiar with these technologies.
At nventive, we must continue innovating so that these technologies fit naturally into user journeys, making interaction as seamless as possible.
This means AI is more than a differentiator; it drives the experience by integrating naturally into applications, just as authentication or security do today. We will continue to focus on how AI can improve productivity, quality, and the overall experience, always keeping the user at the center of our focus. This is what will make our difference in an increasingly competitive market.