On November 4, the stage of Digital Trends 2025 at Sofia Event Center will welcome Ofir Eyal, Chief Executive Officer of one of the world’s most successful communication platforms — Rakuten Viber.

Just days before the most anticipated tech forum in Sofia’s calendar this fall, we sit down with one of its headline speakers to talk about the role of the human in the age of machines, AI as a guardian of trust, and the future where communication won’t just be faster — but more meaningful and more human.

Mr. Eyal, we live in a time when conversations between people increasingly involve artificial intelligence — from personal interactions to business communication. In your view, what does the “human element” look like in a future where machines can already understand us?

Today, AI is so good that its output actually looks human. AI can now write a condolence message that sounds exactly – or maybe even better – like something I would write. But if you knew a machine wrote it, would it still comfort you? Or would it feel like I took a shortcut on something that matters?

Machines already write better than most of us, so the human element in the future is not about capability. The future is about authorship: we will care who chose the words, not just what the words are. Handwritten letters make a comeback for a reason, and “I wrote this myself” is the new “I cooked this from scratch”.

Here is what I tell my team: Map your communication on two axes, transactional vs. relational, and high-stakes vs. low-stakes. AI owns the transactional/low-stakes quadrant, like scheduling or FAQs. Humans own relational/high-stakes: apologies, negotiations, celebrations. The companies that win won’t just use AI to scale conversations. They will use it to protect high-stakes human moments.

 

Generative AI has transformed the way we communicate and create — across text, sound, video, and even emotion. Do you believe AI can make our communication more meaningful, not just faster?

Yes, if we use it to raise clarity and connection, not just speed: cut noise and tailor to the person. Let AI handle the busywork while humans steer intent and empathy, measure clarity and alignment, build with truth/consent/credit, and guard against shallow takes and echo chambers.

 

In recent years, we’ve seen communication, commerce, and fintech converge — everything now happens within a single conversation, inside one app, in real time. Is this the new model of the digital economy? And how does Viber fit into this evolution?

Yes. The new model of the digital economy is conversational: people expect to discover, decide, pay, and get support inside a single thread, in real time, without jumping between apps. Rakuten Viber fits this shift as your all‑in‑one Super App for a simplified life. We offer a responsive platform that helps people and organizations turn chats into action.

In short, conversations are becoming the new interface of the digital economy, and Viber is building the rails to make them productive, trusted, and effortless.

 

You often emphasize the importance of trust and privacy in digital communication. How can AI serve both as a tool for innovation and as a guardian of people’s personal space?

 AI’s defensive capabilities, like detecting phishing, identifying deepfakes, flagging scams or protecting children from harmful content – all while preserving end-to-end encryption – make AI the next frontier of privacy protection. Just as encryption protects data in transit, AI can protect users from threats within their conversations, becoming a ‘guardian layer’ that enhances safety without compromising confidentiality. This reframes the debate from “AI vs. privacy” to “AI for privacy.”

But, maintaining user trust is absolutely critical, especially for a global communication platform like Viber. For this we need guardrails to monitor, alert, intervene, and protect against bad decisions, ensuring that AI remains a reliable and trusted partner for both businesses and users. As an industry, it is our shared responsibility to define, agree on, and build these guardrails.

 

Looking ahead, what will “communication” mean five years from now? Will we continue to type and talk — or are we entering a new era where voice, emotion, and artificial intelligence merge into a completely new form of connection?

 In five years, communication will shift from manual effort to symbiotic understanding. We’ll still type and talk, but these actions will be supported by AI that senses emotion, context, and tone. Conversations will become multimodal, machines will process not just words but rhythm, micro-expressions, and meaning. AI will evolve from a tool for transcription to one that amplifies emotional intelligence, offering real-time feedback