connect channels, manage data, scale AI and deliver the holistic experiences customers now expect, suggested the Genesys findings. For the first time since the 2023 Genesys survey, CX leaders did not name “keeping up with rising customer expectations” as their biggest operational challenge. Instead, the inability to maintain quality of service while operating aging CX infrastructure was the number one concern in 2026. For organizations still relying on on-premises or disconnected infrastructure, the risk is becoming more visible, said the Genesys study. “Modern CX requires more than adding new tools to existing environments. It requires a unified platform that provides the foundation to orchestrate experiences at scale and deliver growth and customer loyalty.” What’s more, modern CX extends beyond the contact center and requires more than front-office engagement. Customer issues often depend on middle- and back-office processes, from billing and fulfillment to claims, service operations and account management, Genesys executives pointed out. “For CX teams to resolve those issues effectively and efficiently, the platform needs to connect the systems where work actually happens,” continued the study. Again, CX leaders recognize their reality, as nine in 10 say their CX platform will likely be integrated with middle- and back-office systems within three years, while about three-quarters said implementing a customer experience platform that integrates and interoperates with other enterprise systems is critical to reaching strategic CX goals. Two-thirds of respondents said connecting front-office engagement to back-office execution is critical to reaching those goals. Today’s CX platforms must understand not only who the customer is and what they need, it also must be aware of what has already happened and which action should come next. All the while, AI agents need access to the right data, systems, workflows and guardrails so they can act in ways that are relevant, governed and aligned to business outcomes, Genesys researched pointed out. “That level of coordination is difficult to achieve when data, channels and workflows are spread across disconnected systems,” the study argued. Add it all up, and cloud migration and platform integration appear to be on the nearterm horizon for many contact center operators. o Customers More Comfortable with AI CX Consumers have become increasingly comfortable with AI taking a more active role in their CX interactions, showed a comparison of surveys performed this year becoming increasingly familiar with AI agents in their everyday lives and partly due to positive experiences they have had with AI-powered CX. According to a September 2025 survey of U.S.-based adults by CX content company Execs In The Know, the primary concern for consumers when using an AI-powered or self-help solution to resolve a customer care issue was easy access to a live person. Jump to a recent survey from Genesys, and a full 76% of consumers said they do not particularly care whether their issue is resolved by a person or AI, as long as it is solved quickly and completely. That compares to a similar survey from Genesys in 2025 in which 72% of consumers were worried that organizations using AI for customer service will make it impossible to reach a human agent. said their feelings about AI-powered CX are more positive than they were two years ago, while three quarters believe AI will improve the quality and speed of customer service in the next two to three years consistency of experiences across industries, the tolerance for friction, repetition and disconnected Source: Genesys Top AI Challenges for CX Organizations 46% Keeping up with pace of AI innovations 46% Managing and maintaining data for use with AI 44% Readiness and technical ability to adopt AI at scale 42% Demonstrating AI return on investment 40% Having the right technical skill to implement AI Source: Genesys 22 CHANNELVISION | FALL 2026
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