From boardrooms and marketing teams to search engines and social platforms, artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing what people see, believe, and buy.
At MarkHack 5.0, some of Africa’s leading voices in business, technology, and innovation came together to examine what that shift means for brands, consumers, and the future of trust in the digital age.
Held on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the conference brought together industry leaders, founders, creatives, technology professionals, investors, and policymakers under the theme,
“The Culture Algorithm: AI × Human Experience.” The event provided a platform for thought-provoking conversations around the intersection of artificial intelligence, consumer behavior, digital credibility, data governance, and cultural relevance in Africa’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem.
As AI continues to transform industries and redefine how information is created, distributed, and consumed, discussions throughout the conference focused on a critical challenge facing organizations today: how can businesses embrace technological innovation while preserving trust, authenticity, and meaningful human connection?
Across keynote presentations, fireside conversations, and panel discussions, speakers examined the growing influence of algorithms on everyday decision-making. From the content people engage with and the products they purchase to the brands they trust and the opinions they form, participants explored how artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping modern consumer experiences.
One of the conference’s most anticipated sessions featured Osato Evbuomwan, Marketing Director of Moët Hennessy Nigeria, whose presentation, “Trust That Sells: How AI is Changing What Consumers Believe and Buy,” generated significant discussion among attendees.
Examining the changing dynamics of influence in the digital era, Evbuomwan challenged participants to consider whether artificial intelligence could become the most influential salesperson in history. She argued that organizations are entering a new competitive landscape where success may increasingly depend not only on market share or share of voice but on what she described as “share of recommendation.”
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Her presentation explored how recommendation engines, algorithms, and AI-powered platforms are influencing consumer choices at an unprecedented scale.
She encouraged attendees to think critically about who develops AI systems, whose perspectives are reflected in training data, who audits these technologies, and how unseen biases may influence the information presented to users.
Addressing the rise of generative AI, she noted that the traditional relationship between content and credibility is rapidly evolving.
“Seeing is no longer believing,” she said, highlighting how increasingly sophisticated AI-generated content is changing the way audiences assess authenticity and trust online.
The conversation around trust remained a recurring theme throughout the event. Speakers emphasized that while artificial intelligence can significantly improve efficiency, productivity, and decision-making, human oversight remains essential in ensuring fairness, accountability, context, and ethical responsibility.
Evbuomwan outlined three principles she believes brands must embrace in the AI era: visibility, verifiability, and value. According to her, organizations must ensure they are visible within the digital ecosystems from which AI systems gather information, provide claims that can be independently verified, and consistently deliver meaningful value to consumers.
Panel discussions further expanded on these themes, bringing together marketing, technology, and business leaders to explore the relationship between artificial intelligence, consumer trust, and data governance.
Participants highlighted the importance of developing AI systems that understand local realities, cultural nuances, and diverse perspectives. They argued that technology designed without sufficient cultural context risks disconnecting from the communities it is intended to serve.
The changing nature of consumer behavior also featured prominently in discussions. Speakers observed that purchasing decisions are increasingly shaped by identity, belonging, shared values, and emotional connection rather than functionality alone. As a result, brands were encouraged to move beyond transactional engagement and focus on building deeper, trust-based relationships with audiences.
Data privacy and governance emerged as another major area of focus. Several speakers stressed that consumer confidence can be easily undermined when organizations fail to demonstrate transparency in how customer information is collected, stored, and utilized. Responsible data practices, participants noted, will become an increasingly important differentiator as AI adoption accelerates globally.
Another key discussion centered on the future of digital visibility and discoverability. Experts examined the growing influence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), reflecting the increasing role of AI-powered assistants and recommendation systems in shaping online experiences.
As consumers rely more heavily on conversational AI platforms and intelligent search tools, speakers argued that businesses must rethink how information is structured, validated, and distributed online. Future visibility, they suggested, may depend not only on search rankings but also on whether AI systems perceive information as credible, relevant, and trustworthy enough to recommend.
The conference also explored the future of storytelling in an AI-powered world. During one session, speakers introduced the “4Cs of AI Storytelling” framework: Culture, Context, Connection, and Credibility.
While acknowledging AI’s ability to generate content at scale and speed, participants maintained that authentic storytelling remains fundamentally human. Cultural understanding, emotional intelligence, lived experience, and genuine connection, they argued, continue to play a crucial role in building meaningful audience relationships and cannot be fully automated.
Beyond marketing and communications, discussions also examined Africa’s position within the global digital economy.
A separate panel focused on the relationship between data, innovation, and economic competitiveness, with participants emphasizing the need for Africa to become a stronger producer of data, research, and digital intelligence rather than remaining primarily a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere. Speakers noted that the continent’s ability to generate, govern, and leverage its own knowledge resources will play a significant role in shaping future AI systems and digital economies.
As MarkHack 5.0 concluded, one message resonated throughout the conference: the future of artificial intelligence will not be defined solely by technological advancement but by society’s ability to build systems grounded in trust, transparency, accountability, and cultural relevance.
For many attendees, the event reinforced a growing reality that the most important conversation surrounding AI is no longer simply what the technology can do, but how it can be developed and deployed in ways that genuinely serve people, communities, and businesses.
The event was supported by a broad network of ecosystem partners, sponsors, industry stakeholders, and media organizations committed to advancing conversations around innovation, technology, and business growth across Africa. Among the media partners were Crest Africa and Empire Magazine Africa, which helped amplify key insights and conversations emerging from the conference to audiences across the continent.
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