Ezurike Champions Human-Centred Digital Future at ReThinkAI 2025

A marketing technology expert and innovation strategist, Dr Nduneche Ezurike, has urged African brands to rethink the traditional customer journey and embrace a human-centred approach that prioritises people over profit in the evolving digital economy.

Presenting a paper titled “Reimagining the Customer Journey in the Age of Digital Acceleration” at the ReThinkAI 2025 Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Ezurike challenged long-standing corporate assumptions about brand dominance, calling instead for models that empower consumers as active co-creators of value.

The two-day virtual conference, organised by the International Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering and Management (IASTEM) in collaboration with ICLED Business School, Lagos, convened scholars, business leaders, and innovators from more than 20 countries to discuss AI’s expanding influence across marketing, education, fintech, and corporate innovation.

Introducing the concept of the Mecosystem, Ezurike described a future where consumers navigate complex, multi-platform environments—creating shared experiences through personalisation, peer influence, and digital collaboration.

“Today’s customers don’t move in a straight line from awareness to purchase,” he explained, adding that “They exist within algorithmic ecosystems where people, purpose, and platforms shape choices.”

He further introduced a new performance metric, Return on Failure (ROF), asserting that organisations should view failed experiments as opportunities for learning, innovation, and building consumer trust.

In her opening remarks, Ms Sripriya Sarathy, Chairperson of the conference, described ReThinkAI 2025 as a “global platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration that bridges academia, business, and technology in pursuit of sustainable innovation.”

She stressed the need to align ethics and empathy with technology to ensure a humane digital future.

Similarly, Prof Olajumoke Familoni, Provost of ICLED Business School, described Ezurike’s paper as timely, noting that “AI now shapes every sector of society, and empathy must remain central as we navigate digital transformation.”

Contributing to the dialogue, Dr Amila Gamage, Assistant Professor at LIGS University (USA), said the growing role of AI in education and business underscores the urgency for new forms of digital literacy and inclusive leadership.

The Cybersecurity and AI session track was voted the conference’s Best Session Track, while several scholars received awards for outstanding research contributions.

Other keynote speakers included Dr Ray Schroeder (USA) and Dr Mythili Kolluru (Oman), who both underscored the importance of ethical governance and accountability in the global adoption of artificial intelligence.