The Trust Advantage: How MyTerms Unlocks Better AI Training and Competitive Differentiation

AI systems are only as good as the data they learn from—and surveillance data teaches the wrong patterns. MyTerms enables neural networks to train on authentic customer intentions.

The heart of today’s AI revolution is the concept of neural networks, which are designed to learn and grow organically, much like how we humans develop understanding through experience. These digital neural networks don’t arrive fully formed—they develop capabilities gradually through exposure to patterns in data. This creates an important question for every CX leader: What kind of data are you using to train these systems? Are you relying on data collected through surveillance and tracking, or are you building on genuine signals from customers who actually trust you?

This distinction matters more than most organizations realize, and it shapes everything from customer loyalty to competitive advantage.

Understanding the Traditional Approach

The traditional model of companies customer data capture resembles a one-way street—they deploy tracking technologies (cookies, pixels, device fingerprinting) to collect as much behavioral data as possible. The goal makes sense on paper: gather insights to better understand and serve customers.

However, there’s a fundamental problem with this approach. The data captured through surveillance often reflects customer behavior under duress rather than authentic preferences. Think about it: customers click through cookie notices without reading them because they just want to access content. They “agree” to terms they haven’t reviewed. Often, as a result, they behave more cautiously because they sense they’re being watched.

In essence, you’re training AI systems on digital stress responses rather than genuine customer intentions. It’s like trying to understand someone’s true personality by only observing them during job interviews—you’re likely not seeing the authentic person.

Beyond the data quality issue, there’s a relationship problem. Traditional surveillance-based approaches fundamentally lack the mutual respect that healthy relationships require. We’ve normalized practices online—tracking people’s every move, building behavioral profiles, targeting them based on inferred attributes—that would feel deeply inappropriate in physical spaces.

The consequences play out in several ways. Neural networks trained on this surveillance data can develop skewed understanding of customer needs. They may learn to optimize for manipulation rather than genuine service. They might treat customers as resources to extract value from rather than partners to create value with.

And increasingly, customers are pushing back. Privacy regulations continue to expand. Ad blocker adoption even become the largest consumer boycott in history. Trust in brands erodes. The surveillance-based economy is showing its limitations.

A Different Foundation: The MyTerms Approach

IEEE P7012, commonly known as MyTerms, represents a fundamentally different model. Expected to become an official standard in early 2026, MyTerms flips the script on how customer-company relationships work.

Imagine a world where, instead of companies presenting privacy policies that customers must accept, MyTerms enabled customers to present their privacy requirements as contractual terms. Companies then decide whether to accept, negotiate, or decline those terms. Both parties maintain identical records of what was agreed to. The terms are machine-readable, enforceable, and built on mutual respect.

Let me explain how this works in practice. Customers operate as first parties—not as “users” or “data subjects,” but as equal partners in a business relationship. They select terms from a standardized roster maintained by independent nonprofits like Customer Commons (full disclosure, I sit on the board). Companies respond as second parties, reviewing and accepting (negotiating or declining) those terms.

Consider a prototype term called #NoStalking, which simply states: “Just show me ads not based on tracking me.” It’s clear, straightforward, and actually benefits both sides. The customer gets privacy protection. The company gets explicit permission for contextual advertising (showing ads based on page content rather than behavioral tracking). No surveillance infrastructure needed.

This changes the foundation on which you can build customer experience AI.

How This Transforms Neural Network Training

When customers trust you enough to share genuine signals about their needs, preferences, and intentions, you’re working with fundamentally different data. Your neural networks can learn from authentic customer expressions rather than defensive behaviors. They develop understanding based on what customers actually want rather than what surveillance systems infer they might want.

Think of MyTerms as creating clear channels of communication between customers and your enterprise systems. Instead of surveillance backdoors, you’re building trusted front doors that customers willingly walk through. Every authentic interaction becomes a meaningful learning opportunity. Every honest signal helps your AI systems develop more accurate understanding. Every contractual agreement strengthens the foundation for building genuine intelligence.

This isn’t just a technical difference—it’s a qualitative shift in what your AI systems can learn and how they can serve customers.

The Business Value You Unlock

CX leaders who adopt MyTerms don’t just improve customer experience scores—they create multiple forms of enterprise value that surveillance-based approaches simply cannot deliver.

First, you can dramatically reduce compliance complexity. All those elaborate cookie notices, lengthy privacy policies that nobody reads, consent management platforms, and GDPR/CCPA anxiety? MyTerms contracts can replace much of that complexity with straightforward bilateral agreements. This translates to lower legal costs and significantly reduced regulatory risk.

Second, you gain access to genuine intention signals. When customers operate as first parties, they can share what they’re actually looking for while maintaining their privacy. This is what Doc Searls has called “The Intention Economy”—markets driven by customer demand rather than company manipulation. Your neural networks learn to respond to authentic needs rather than trying to manufacture desires.

Third, you create meaningful competitive differentiation through trust. In today’s environment where surveillance capitalism has become the norm, being a company that genuinely respects customer agency stands out dramatically. Early adopters of trust-based approaches will capture disproportionate customer acceptance as people seek alternatives to extractive relationships. Your brand becomes associated with trustworthiness—arguably the most valuable asset in digital markets.

Fourth, you develop more capable AI systems. Neural networks trained on authentic signals develop capabilities that surveillance-trained systems struggle to match. They understand context more accurately because customers provide it voluntarily. They predict needs more precisely because they’re learning from honest expressions rather than educated guesses. They personalize more effectively because they’re working from stated preferences rather than inferred attributes.

What This Means for Your Strategy

The next couple of years will likely determine whether your organization continues building surveillance systems that customers increasingly resist—or begins cultivating trusted relationships that customers actively want to maintain.

Implementing MyTerms involves three key strategic moves:

First, recognize customers as first parties in your business relationships. This isn’t just terminology—it’s a fundamental shift in how you architect customer experience. When customers arrive at your digital properties, they should have the ability to present their terms. Your systems should be prepared to respond as respectful second parties.

Second, prioritize training your neural networks on high-quality data. Instead of relying on surveillance-derived information, begin building AI capabilities based on voluntary signals from customers. The quality difference is substantial, and your AI agents can develop genuine understanding rather than manipulative patterns.

Third, consider the business model implications. MyTerms enables intention-driven commerce—customers signal what they want, and vendors respond with relevant offers. This can replace the surveillance-advertising-manipulation model with cleaner market mechanisms. Organizations that move early on this shift can capture significant advantage.

When you adopt this approach, the flywheel affect will cascade across your organization. Higher quality data will inform your supply chain systems, manufacturing systems, and others with better signal. The accretive beneifts will be potentially huge.

The organic path forward is available today. The question is what kind of intelligence you want to grow—and what kind of relationships you want to build as the foundation for that growth.

The MyTerms standard is expected to be finalized in early 2026, but the framework and technology exist today. The real question is whether you’ll be among the pioneers who establish trust-based relationships as the foundation for AI development—or among those still trying to extract insights from surveillance data as customers become increasingly unwilling to tolerate that approach.