Compressed Journeys: How AI Is Shrinking the AIDA Model to a Blink
Hello all!
It’s been a while since I posted a blog. While reading a post recently about AI questioning ARR and suggesting UBP = usage based pricing , I was wondering which other long standing models rise AI is questioning now?
And looking at my own experiences , I figured out it’s the AIDA model which is getting altered with the rise of agentic , data driven and AI driven customer journeys. Here it goes ..
AIDA—Attention, Interest, Desire, Action—has long guided marketing and sales. But in 2025, I find myself questioning: Has AI compressed this journey into a single blink?
Let me explain why I think it has ..
Earlier, we moved in stages—attention with an ad, interest via a story, desire with offers, and finally action.
Now? I opened Spotify casually. It served me a lo-fi playlist, with a track I loved as the second song. I clicked, saved, and shared it instantly. That’s not a funnel. That’s a flash.
On the other hand I see using quick commerce to buy goods which are delivered in 8 minutes..
What happened here .. see the diagram attached and you might share the same feelings..
1) When Intent Replaces the Funnel
A while back, I searched for a jacket. Minutes later, every app—Flipkart, Google, Instagram—was feeding me fast-delivery waterproofs with urgency badges.
I didn’t scroll endlessly. I clicked and checked out.
That wasn’t AIDA. That was intent → action.
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2) Prediction Over Persuasion
I often pass a petrol pump without noticing. One day, Google Maps nudged me mid-commute: “Low fuel and a pump is nearby.”
I didn’t plan to stop. AI predicted and nudged just in time. The persuasion stage? Gone.
“That’s AIDA inverted.”
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3) And Then Came the Agents
This one amazed me. I tested an AI assistant that scheduled meetings on my behalf—no email, no chat, no decisions.
Two AI agents handled it end-to-end.
No ad. No funnel. Just autonomous action. A2A protocol is in the works as I write this.
Imagine a future where AI handles everything from groceries to investments. If there’s no human deciding desire, what happens to marketing as we know it?
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Q) So, What Do We Do With AIDA Now?
To me, AIDA is no longer linear. AI compresses journeys into milliseconds. The only thing that matters now is context and timing.
We’ve moved from pushing people through stages to showing up the moment they’re ready— sometimes even before they know it.
That’s not just automation. That’s anticipation.
Author – Sumit Rajwade, Co-founder: mPrompto
