Glance ahead 25 years of XSARUS: a vision on digital change
XSARUS stands for ‘25 years pioneering in digital change’. When we started in 2000 as a student-run business, we sensed something big was about to happen. The corporate world was on the brink of transformation through internet and email, but no one really knew how. Neither did we — but we took a serious shot at it.
Digital innovation over the years
Almost impossible to imagine is that computers were mostly standalone. Now they were tied together. That meant we suddenly had real-time communication capabilities that were previously unheard of. We built websites, web applications and web shops on open source software and, a little later, with commercial frameworks and platforms. All to connect businesses faster and more powerfully.
We were there when omnichannel e-commerce was conceived and rolled out and helped over a hundred organisations in the Benelux with their digital transformation. Partly due to socials and mobile internet, mobile-first became the dominant approach. We now know that data and personalisation techniques fuel most economic relationships. Technical architecture became best-of-breed and then composable. Business intelligence, meanwhile, became AI.
Also read the article by Bram Hoekman (CTO) looking back on a quarter century of technological growth, innovation and impact.
25 years pioneering in digital change
Was it revolutionary? Ça dépend.
Yes — the internet changed not just tech, but culture, economy, politics, education, relationships and even our way of thinking. It was the biggest societal shift since the Industrial Revolution. But no — because human needs remained largely the same. Most innovations were iterative rather than radical. The internet mostly reinforced existing structures. Let’s be realistic: tech revolutions often get overhyped in the short term, driven by adrenaline.
It’s 2025 and we look ahead. Again, we sense something big is unfolding. Or rather — the cloud has already descended. We’re in it. Artificial intelligence is not just reinforcing existing structures. It’s challenging them. It might even create new ones.
You may think of self-driving cars, virtual assistants, personalised education, AI diagnostics in healthcare. Or AI replacing editors, translators and photographers. Or creating art, films, books and music. All real — and normalised fast, especially since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. But what about AI discovering new molecules and materials? Or AI robots exploring other planets on their own? Or fully autonomous scientific research, driven by AI?¹
New structures or the same foundation?
The big question: is AI reinforcing existing structures — or are we seeing something truly new? Will the way we live, work, think, relax, buy and sell fundamentally change? Utopians think so. Ray Kurzweil, for example, believes AI could make us immortal by enhancing our brains and bodies.² Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, sees AI as the key to massive, fair economic growth and wellbeing.
Then there are the sceptics. Oxford researcher Nick Bostrom warns that superintelligent AI could threaten civilisation if we’re not extremely careful.³ Eliezer Yudkowsky argues it’s already too late to make AI safe — and we should halt development entirely.⁴ So, what’s your take?
Step by step
The temptation to answer these big questions is strong. Just like 25 years ago. Back then, we didn’t know how things would unfold. But we still took a serious shot. And we’re doing it again now. In practical, tangible ways. Our approach? Start small. Create manageable improvements with AI.⁵ We’ve been thinking about this for a while — and we’re taking action. We've launched the XSARUS AI Lab. In digital commerce, generative AI already helps to a) sell more effectively, b) serve customers better, c) work more efficiently.
A few real-world examples? AI-based customer advice, without needing predefined behavioural variables. Dynamic pricing based on AI-driven willingness-to-pay insights. Real-time forecasts for stock levels and returns. Product photos and content that no longer require models or photographers. Virtual assistants that actually work in customer service. What use cases are you exploring?
Where is it all heading? As long as we’re aware of the need for AI guardrails (a topic in itself), there’s a lot to gain. Humans still crave real, tangible, sometimes slow, lived experiences. Not just for authenticity (me), but for attentiveness (us).⁶ Efficiency isn’t everything. Many existing structures will remain. But a lot of them will get better, easier or more meaningful — step by step.
The journey continues
And so we move forward. Together with our colleagues and clients. Curious and pragmatic. What’s your view? I’d love to hear it.
Bronnen
¹ Wang, H. et al. ‘Scientific discovery in the age of artificial intelligence’, Nature, Vol. 620, 2023
² Kurzweil, R. ‘The Singularity is Near’, New York, 2005
³ Bostrom, N. ‘Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies’, Oxford, 2014
⁴ Yudkowsky, E. ‘Pausing AI Developments Isn’t Enough. We Need to Shut it All Down’, Time Magazine, 2023
⁵ Wamba, S.F. et al. ‘Artificial Intelligence in E-Commerce: A Bibliometric Study and Literature Review’, Electronic Markets, 2022
⁶ Weil, S. 'The Subversive Simone Weil', University of Chicago Press, 2021