Sam Wilson, CEO of 8x8, 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 8x8 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.