Human Assist Still Essential to AI CX Even though the contact center is one of the places where AI has been successfully implemented early and often, “customer care is still very much a human-centered endeavor in the minds of consumers,” argue researchers at CX content company Execs In The Know. According to its September survey of U.S.-based adults, the primary concern for consumers when using an AI-powered or self-help solution to resolve a customer care issue is easy access to a live person. Even as AI capabilities evolve, the percentage who cite human backup as tops in importance has remained unchanged during the last three years. In fact, as companies increase their reliance on AI-powered solutions, the top three concerns among consumers (difficulty reaching a live person, AI solutions unable to address specific issues and getting trapped in an endless loop) all revolve around a pattern of frustration when an AI-powered solution is in some way broken and there is no one there to help. The percentage citing difficulty in reaching a live person actually increased from 2023 to this year. “This has been such a common experience that changing perceptions will not only take better AI-powered solutions but will also take time and lots of positive experiences to counter negative sentiment,” said Execs In The Know researchers. The data suggests that the growing use of AI in CX applications has not exactly made things easier for users. Respondents who listed “ease of use/ simplicity” as of primary importance when interacting with an AI powered CX solution increased by 6 percentage points between 2023 and 2025. “Although AI technology has come a long way, gaps in quality among customer-facing solutions persist, meaning that all too often customers need an easy off-ramp to a live agent,” the report continued. Overall, consumers tend to be net-positive about the impact of AI on CX, with 40 percent of consumers saying they either “strongly agree” or “agree” that AI-powered tools and solutions will greatly benefit their customer care interactions in the future. On the flip side, just less than a quarter of respondents said they “strongly disagree” or “disagree.” “This is good news given how quickly the technology is evolving and growing in capability and accuracy,” the researchers concluded. o AI & AUTOMATION What’s your biggest concern with companies increasingly relying on AI solutions for customer care? 2023 2024 2025 Difficulty reaching a live person 29% 27% 33% AI solution unable to address specific issues 24% 25% 22% Getting trapped in an endless loop 20% 25% 21% Information not safe or secure 12% 9% 12% Feeling of being disconnected from the brand 9% 8% 8% Getting a solution will become more difficult 6% 6% 4% Source: Execs In The Know; Transcom When resolving a customer care issue using a solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which is most important to you? 2023 2024 2025 Easy access to a live person 33% 32% 32% Accurate, consistent information 28% 25% 25% Ease of use/simplicity 15% 20% 21% Security of information 14% 13% 12% Lifelike communications 8% 9% 9% Multilingual support 0% 1% 1% Source: Execs In The Know; Transcom By Martin Vilaboy 10 CHANNELVISION | FALL 2025
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