What Self-Driving Cars Can Teach Us About AI and CRM
Self-driving / driverless cars are no longer just a tech demo or a sci-fi daydream; they are rolling in or, actually, driving themselves into the UK! A white electric Jaguar has already been spotted quietly gliding along the Strand in central London, doing its own thing… and probably judging all our driving skills.
Behind the scenes, it’s part of a very real and competitive race between US and Chinese tech giants to launch the first driverless taxi services on London’s streets. That’s the moment self-driving stops being a concept and starts becoming normal. So what does this have to do with AI and CRM?
Well… Self-driving cars were designed to make life easier.
Cars that can steer, brake, and navigate on their own, so drivers don’t have to do all the work. Less effort, fewer mistakes, and a smoother journey from A to B.
The wonderful artificial intelligence is now making the same promise in the CRM world! The new AI-powered (and increasingly self-driving) CRM platforms aim to reduce manual work, cut down on admin, and make smarter decisions automatically. Fewer clicks. Less data entry. More time for people to focus on other things.
But just like a self-driving car, AI isn’t flawless. It’s all about trust, knowing when to let it take the wheel and when to stay in control. Our latest article breaks down the realities of “self-driving” CRM: separating genuine innovation from hype, and highlighting what businesses should get up to with these new trends.
Read the full guide here: Top CRM Trends 2026
From Assisted Driving to Autonomous CRM Platforms
Early self-driving cars didn’t actually drive themselves—they just made driving easier. Adaptive cruise control that kept you at a steady speed. Lane-keeping nudged you back if you drifted. And parking assistance (every driver’s best friend) took the stress out of tight spots.
Helpful? Oh Absolutely. But you were still doing the real work. Hands on the wheel. Eyes on the road. Making every decision.
CRM platforms were the same just last year!
AI could score your leads and rank them by how likely they are to convert. It suggested what your sales team should do next and it flagged customers who might be about to leave. It even personalised emails based on what people clicked.
And honestly? It’s been so useful. We’ve seen our clients work faster, so many decisions have improved, and sales have shot up!
But here’s the thing: people were still doing the “driving”. Someone had to notice every insight, figure out what it meant, and then actually do something about it. The AI was helpful, but it was still just kind of like the co-pilot.
In 2026, That’s Changing Fast with Agentic AI
Back around Christmas time, we shared an article about agentic AI and how CRM platforms were starting to become more autonomous. At the time, AI was moving beyond simply making suggestions; it was beginning to take action on them.
Read more on that here: Agentic AI in CRM: The Hidden Advantage Behind Holiday Conversions
We really want to talk more about this as it’s picked up speed! (Amazing what can happen in just a few months!) AI isn’t waiting to be told what to do anymore.
Enter agentic AI: systems that don’t just help your team, but work alongside them, taking initiative on their own. We’ve moved from “AI-assisted” tools to truly AI-operated systems.
Self-driving, driverless… call it what you want. Your work will already be done.
Why Your CRM Platform Might Be Falling Behind
Every major software category is moving in the same direction: AI-powered systems that work automatically. CRMs, analytics, project management, even the big brands like Salesforce – they’re all shifting from tools that wait for your input to systems that handle things on their own.
By the end of 2026, this won’t be special. It’ll be expected. If your CRM / ESP platform can’t detect issues, update records, and optimise campaigns automatically, it won’t feel cutting-edge, it’ll feel outdated. (And we don’t want that for anyone!)
Here’s the problem: most CRMs aren’t properly set up.
We see it all the time. Companies have powerful platforms, but they’re only using a fraction of what’s possible. They don’t know what features exist. They haven’t automated the basics. Nobody’s ever looked at whether their setup actually makes sense.
The warning signs are everywhere. Does this seem familiar?
- Your Sales reps are manually logging every call because integrations were never configured
- Marketing emails are going out with old customer data because syncs only run once a day
- Support tickets are sitting unanswered because nobody set up the workflow rules
- Duplicate contacts everywhere because deduplication isn’t turned on
- Teams are making gut-feel decisions instead of using the data that’s already there
Your team are doing so much of the work manually that your CRM platform should be doing automatically. They’re chasing leads that should be auto-scored and routed, sending generic emails when personalisation is sitting there unused and building reports manually when dashboards could update themselves.
It’s not that your CRM can’t do these things. Nobody’s configured them properly.
AI and automation in CRM are here. The question is: are you using them, or are you still doing everything the hard way?
How WeDoCRM Can Help You
If you suspect your CRM is underperforming but don’t know where to start, that’s exactly what we solve. Book a CRM audit, and we’ll show you what’s broken, what’s missing, and what quick wins you can implement tomorrow. Let’s talk.
Want more insights? Check out:
- Agentic AI in Marketing and CRM Explained – Learn everything you need to know about AI
- Learn about Customer 3.0 – the buyer who is smarter than your CRM
- How CRM is Changing B2B Sales – CRM’s impact on modern sales processes.
