When you need answers from search, do you issue a curt command, like “chicken recipes”? Or do you ask a polite question as if you were conversing with a friend?

Increasingly, it seems, we’re treating search engines and other AI bots as people. Which means our interactions are becoming more personal and conversational, even if we are sacrificing a little efficiency in the process. Yet more proof of this comes from a recent Google article that cited sizable increases in searches featuring “me,” “my” and “I.”

So, next time you find yourself thanking Alexa, or berating your GPS, stop to consider how our relationship with technological help is changing. And how that will inform your customers’ expectations for any interactive, AI experiences you create for them.