Hands up if AI is on your product roadmap for 2026!
Ok, we’re all in.
So it’s not surprising that we’re increasingly being asked to explore AI features within our custom competitor research.
The north star for AI is found with proactive, agentic experiences, a shift that moves product from a static utility to an intelligent partner that anticipates & acts. But beyond the hype, we know that product claims & product experiences are not always the same thing.
An agentic experience
Let’s be clear on what we’re talking about because there’s AI & then there’s AI. A feature that feels proactive may be:
- Rules based: Presents the user with logic based options
- Generative: Reacts to prompts, creating new personalised content & options
- Agentic: Integrated experiences that anticipate & act on your behalf
When designed well, all can be clever, all can feel intuitive. The subtlety comes in the hand-offs, the ability for you to complete an action, or not even think about the action… because the AI agent knew what was needed, anticipated your preference & has already actioned it.
The truth is, very few have the whole package just yet.
- AI is moving at lightning speed so no wonder it’s hard to keep up. But if you’re positioning your products as intelligent, users expect the best.
- Users are still having to seek it out for themselves. If you’re offering an agentic experience, make it accessible. The customer shouldn’t have to do the hard work.
- Nor should they be sent elsewhere. If the user has to jump between interfaces there’s integration work to be done. And perhaps some streamlining too.
A challenge & an opportunity
We know it’s risky business when you get it wrong. Financial services customers tell us that they implicitly trust their providers but don’t trust the performance of their products. So in some cases, AI is letting the brand down.
This is a big challenge for businesses with legacy tech. Agentic goes beyond comms, with customer service delivering end-to-end action. Permissions need to be embedded. End goals need to be achieved.
Meanwhile, disruptors have the challenge of accessing & interacting with a customers’ existing providers. Fiddly stuff. But for those who take on the task, there’s plenty to be gained.
Who’s winning at this?
Some of our favourite examples are the products that take on the cognitive load for the user. They pause for approval when needed. And blend anticipation with human oversight.
From the outside it can be hard to evaluate if companies are using generative or agentic, but it’s a positive sign if an experience feels proactive, intuitive & connected. Especially if it’s able to take action on your behalf.
Two examples we’ve been super impressed with:
Just Move In, whose Free Moving Checklist helps you to prioritise your tasks and make sure you’re getting the best deals for broadband, energy, insurance and more.
Plum, a smart money ‘robot’ that helps you budget, save and invest all through automation. The app links to your bank account and uses AI to analyse your income and spending habits.
But it feels like we’re scratching the surface here. From the outside, we all risk being subjective & these examples may not be relevant to your sector.
This is where BehindLogin’s Benchmark methodology can help:
- Real users, real usage behind-the-login
- Consistent, moderated tasks across a handpicked range of competitors
- Comparable, evidence based benchmarking
Available as a custom research project, our approach gives businesses a clear, comparative view of competitors within their own market.
We also produce our own Benchmark reports for selected features & sectors.
The Chatbot AI Experience Benchmark
We recently announced that our first Benchmark report in 2026 will focus on The Chatbot AI Experience.
With experiences varying so wildly, our established Benchmark methodology offers an in depth study of where chatbots genuinely create value for users. Discover what’s working today, what needs to improve, and where the next competitive advantage will come from.
Launching in April 2026, remember to follow BehindLogin to gain early access.
