Half of Organizations Will Stop CX Workforce Reductions Due to AI

By 2027, 50 percent of organizations that expected to significantly reduce their customer service workforces will abandon these plans, according to Gartner.

This shift comes as many companies struggle to achieve their agent-less staffing goals, highlighting the complexities and challenges of transitioning to artificial intelligence-driven customer service models.

Gartner further found that 95 percent of customer service leaders plan to retain human agents to strategically define AI's role. This approach ensures a "digital-first, but not digital-only" strategy, avoiding the pitfalls of a hasty transition to an agentless model, it says.

"While AI offers significant potential to transform customer service, it is not a panacea. The human touch remains irreplaceable in many interactions, and organizations must balance technology with human empathy and understanding," says Kathy Ross, senior director analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice. "A hybrid approach, where AI and human agents work in tandem, is the most effective strategy for delivering exceptional customer experiences."

Gartner further encourages organizations to clearly define AI’s role, prioritize strategic objectives, and determine the roles of human agents. This strategic alignment is essential to enhance customer service without compromising quality, ensuring that AI serves as a complement rather than a replacement for human interaction, the firm says.

As the landscape of customer service continues to evolve, integrating AI with human capabilities is essential, Garter says, noting that this will not only improve service quality but also ensure that organizations remain agile and responsive to customer needs.