As AI rewrites the inbox, marketers are told to write for 2 readers

Delivering the keynote, titled “Dear Stranger: The New Intimacy of the Modern Inbox,” entrepreneur and technologist Musa Kalenga argued that artificial intelligence has inserted itself between senders and recipients.

AI-powered inbox features in a growing number of email platforms increasingly summarise, prioritise and filter messages before recipients see them, he said, arguing that "deliverability is now desirability."

As AI assistants become more common in email platforms, marketers need to optimise messages not only for recipients but also for the systems that determine which emails are surfaced, summarised or deprioritised.

Citing industry data, Kalenga said there are around 4.6 billion email users worldwide, with more than 300 billion emails sent daily and many consumers managing multiple inboxes. At that scale, he argued, no single message feels personal, and machine intelligence increasingly determines which messages receive attention.

His central proposition was that every email now has two readers: the human, who responds to tone and relevance, and the machine, which often evaluates structure and intent before a human ever sees the message. Benchmarks shared during the event suggested segmented campaigns can generate significantly more revenue than untargeted sends, while personalised emails consistently outperform generic messaging.

Rather than leading with technology, Kalenga argued that marketers should begin with empathy, placing audience understanding first, creative persuasion second, and technology last as an amplifier. He also cautioned against treating automation as an end in itself, urging marketers to “systemise the relationship” rather than “automate the blast.”

The keynote concluded with a five-part framework called Inbox. It focused on intent-based segmentation, always-on nurture journeys, protecting brand voice in an AI-driven environment, consent and data governance aligned with South Africa's POPIA, and writing content that is understandable and relevant to both people and AI-powered inbox systems.

Kalenga argued that strong data governance should be viewed as a source of competitive advantage rather than simply a compliance requirement.

The Inbox Effect forms part of Everlytic's ongoing programme exploring how AI is reshaping email marketing and other owned digital communication channels.