Human agents remain vital in AI-driven customer service

AI handles routine queries, but human intervention is key for trust and escalation.

Human agents play a crucial role in handling escalation points when AI falls short, said Jaceline Go, Marketing & Business Strategy Manager at YCP. She emphasised that businesses must balance automation with human intervention to maintain customer trust.

"If AI is unable to resolve your issue, that's when a customer can opt to speak with a human agent," Go said.

Despite the growing adoption of AI in customer service, concerns about trust persist, particularly among older generations. Go noted that younger consumers are more open to AI-driven interactions, while Gen X and Baby Boomers remain hesitant due to concerns over security and data privacy.

"AI can easily be hacked by black hat hackers, or data can be leaked," Go explained. "There is also that sense of fear that AI could take over human roles, and these concerns need to be addressed through consumer education."

However, Go believes that, over time, AI will become an accepted part of daily life, much like computers and automated machines. "In 10-15 years, AI will be a simple part of our daily routine, similar to how we have computers nowadays," she added.

To balance AI adoption with customer trust, businesses must offer transparency and choice in AI-driven interactions. Providing clear options helps customers adapt to AI technology while ensuring that human support remains accessible when needed.

Go also emphasised the rapid development of AI in mimicking human interactions, including the ability to communicate in local languages and express emotions. This evolution, she argued, will help increase consumer confidence in AI-powered services.

"The more we integrate human-like interactions into AI, the more consumers will feel at ease," Go said. "AI can be trained to be the perfect customer agent, but if AI fails, human agents must be ready to step in to maintain service quality and trust."