Genesys CEO: We can see firsthand how AI is changing — not replacing — work

The conversation around AI and jobs has become strangely binary. Somehow, it seems we’re headed either toward a future where AI eliminates millions of white-collar jobs or one where it unlocks unprecedented productivity and economic growth. 

Some CEOs are openly discussing workforce reductions. Others are talking about hiring more because AI will help their organization move faster and tackle bigger opportunities. But the truth is, nobody really knows yet how all of this will play out. Even some of AI’s most prominent builders have managed to argue both sides of the jobs debate in recent months.

What I do know, though, is the companies seeing real results aren’t spending much time debating whether humans or AI will win. They’re focused on figuring out how work should change when both are involved.

One of the clearest places to see this shift happening is customer experience. It may not generate the same headlines as software engineering, but customer service has become an early proving ground for how humans and AI work together. Genesys powers millions of customer interactions every day, creating a constant test of where AI works, where it comes up short and evidence of how, spoiler alert, humans always will be essential.

So far, what we’re seeing looks less like replacement and more like redistribution.

Our latest global research survey found that nearly 9 in 10 customer experience leaders expect service roles to look significantly different in the next three years because of AI. Still, an overwhelming majority believe human agents will continue playing a critical role in delivering customer experience. That may sound contradictory, but it’s the ground truth.

Anyone who runs a service organization sees this firsthand. The best agents rarely spend their day answering simple questions. Instead, they’re handling exceptions, calming frustrated customers, navigating unusual circumstances and solving problems that don’t........

© Fortune