Our latest research at The Harris Poll UK highlights a growing expectation that future leadership will be shaped not only by knowledge and experience, but by human understanding, ethical judgment and the confidence to navigate uncertainty.

It reflects something I’ve increasingly recognised in my own work. In the insights industry, we are often asked to provide certainty. Clients want clarity, leaders want confidence, and organisations want to know what happens next.

The longer I spend in research, leading teams and partnering with organisations through rapid change, the more I have come to value something I once tried hard to avoid: ‘not knowing’.

Romance has always reflected the times we live in. From handwritten letters to text messages, candlelit dinners to app-booked experiences, each generation finds new ways to say the same old thing: you matter to me.

So as artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, it’s natural to wonder whether something meaningful might be lost along the way. Are algorithms and automation quietly cooling the emotional warmth of love?

In the light of Valentine’s Day this weekend, we look at new data from The Harris Poll UK, which suggests the opposite may be true.

Technology continues to redefine customer experience, often focusing on remote and digital services that prioritise efficiency and scale. However, what happens when customers desire more than a technologically advanced response — when they simply want an authentic, human interaction? 

Our new insights come with an important warning: beware of outsourcing empathy to machines. This raises a key question for every organisation—do you know your company’s CX ‘moments of truth’? Those moments where authentic connection matters most to your customers. 

At The Harris Poll UK, a Stagwell company, we’re continually engaging with leaders and innovators across the financial services sector to understand how technology is reshaping both opportunity and expectation.

At the recent Financial Services AI & Innovation Forum on 30 September, one theme came through loud and clear: artificial intelligence is no longer a future opportunity — it’s reshaping business realities today.

For financial services (FS) companies, the challenge is not whether to embrace it, but how to do so responsibly, effectively and in ways that truly deliver value to employees and customers.