8×8 CEO Rubbishes Talk of AI Eliminating All Call Center Jobs Within 5 Years – CX Today

Posted on Author AIJobNexus

This post was originally published on this site.

Sam Wilson, CEO of 8×8, has poured cold water over the idea that AI will replace all human contact agents. 

In an interview with Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst at ZK Research, Wilson predicted that the actual impact of AI on jobs will be minimal. 

The 8×8 man claimed that in five years, a typical contact center that currently employs 100 people would only see this number reduced to 96.  

This four percent drop is far removed from what Kerravala refers to as the “prevailing myth” in capital markets that AI will eliminate the need for human agents altogether.  

Instead, Wilson argues that AI will actually enhance the employee experience for agents in the future.  

He believes that the remaining 96 percent of agents will be “paid more”, as well as being “more specialist” and having “more knowledge”, noting:  

They’re not going to be setting appointments, they’re going to be actually dealing with problems.

Wilson’s take on the future of AI clashes with that of other leaders at major CX firms.

For instance, in October of last year, Oracle pledged to assist customers in automating ALL of their customer service operations.  

Jeff Wartgow, VP of Oracle CX, outlined the company’s vision for “complete, total, perpetual service automation” during a media briefing.  

Wartgow also highlighted that Oracle’s automation tools are 96 percent cheaper than human agents, scalable, “don’t eat”, “don’t sleep”, and can speak multiple languages, making automation a clear choice for businesses. 

Nevertheless, even if AI agents don’t take over the contact center, AI will transform most contact centers over the coming years.

Wilson’s argument that it will free up agents to focus on more complex tasks is a common one that has traditionally been presented as a benefit for agents.  

However, even if there are humans still running contact centers, they’ll likely have to handle increasingly challenging cases without simpler inquiries to take a breather.

Already, according to Ed Creasey, VP of Solution Engineering at Calabrio, this is starting to contribute to agent burnout.  

Creasey explained that when he used to work as an agent, he appreciated more straightforward tasks like address changes because they offered a brief respite. 

“All this AI, all this progression, surely life should be getting easier for the contact center? And I think it’s obvious why it’s not,” he said.  

AI “Low-Hanging Fruit”

Outside of arguing against the idea that AI will eliminate contact center roles, Wilson discussed how the tech will lead to an increase in overall contact center spending. 

He argues that this increase will be driven by investments in AI-driven solutions, such as bots, agent assistance tools, and multichannel communication (e.g., SMS and WhatsApp messaging). 

When asked by Kerravala about some of the AI “low-hanging fruit” that Wilson has been noticing, he identified three major areas where AI is currently making an immediate impact and providing significant value for both businesses and customers. 

Translation

The first standout capability highlighted by the 8Ă—8 man is the use of AI-powered chat agents that can engage with customers in numerous languages.

This ability is crucial for breaking down language barriers, ultimately enhancing global customer service.  

AI enables businesses to cater to a broader, more diverse customer base without the challenge of language limitations. 

Transcription

8×8 prides itself on having one of the most accurate transcription engines in the industry.  

Wilson details how high-quality transcription plays a vital role in several key areas: 

  • Summarization of calls and chat interactions. 
  • Fraud detection, such as identifying scam patterns in conversations. 
  • Agent training and analytics allow businesses to better understand customer interactions and improve agent performance. 

Wilson emphasized that all of these features “depend on the quality of transcripts”. He continued: 

[It’s an] easy place for vendors to skimp on money because great transcription is expensive, but we include it in the platform as part of the product because let me tell you, everything downstream will work way better if you got your transcripts right.

Summarization

8×8 is also using AI to automatically summarize a variety of customer interactions, improving both efficiency and the customer experience.  

This includes summarizing: 

  • Individual chat messages. 
  • Full video calls. 
  • Entire customer interactions. 
  • Multiple interactions combined into a “summary of summaries.” 

These automated summaries help agents quickly get up to speed and address customer needs more effectively, ultimately boosting productivity and enhancing the overall experience for customers. 

More News from 8Ă—8

Late last year, 8×8 revealed a companywide rebrand as part of its shift toward CX and CCaaS.  

While the updated logo, colors, and website are eye-catching, the key focus is the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing its CX offerings.

Bruno Bertini, Chief Marketing Officer at 8×8, emphasized that the changes go beyond aesthetics, highlighting the company’s dedication to supporting CX and IT leaders through its 8×8 Platform for CX.  

Elsewhere, in November of last year, 8×8 rolled out new AI and customer engagement features for its cloud CX platform.  

These updates include AI-powered transcriptions for the 8×8 Contact Center and improved call quality for Azure virtual desktops.  

According to 8Ă—8, these enhancements will help business leaders improve customer and employee experiences and engagement across their organizations.