Ditching human customer service entirely is a bust. Fewer? Yes. However, by 2028, human customer support agents will remain in all of the largest US companies, listed in the Fortune 500, Gartner predicts.
The trend of AI agents replacing human workers seems to be reversing, despite the widespread dazzling excitement surrounding AI agents.
Gartner, a US business and technology insights company, suggests that service and support executives should redeploy human employees to drive growth rather than pursue complete automation.
“By 2028, none (0%) of the Fortune 500 companies will have fully eliminated human customer service,” Gartner predicts.
“A completely agentless future is both unlikely and undesirable.”
Instead, Gartner forecasts that by 2027, half of the organizations expected to significantly reduce their service workforce due to AI will drop these plans. The reason is that companies fail to achieve their agentless staffing goals.
While AI and automation continue to transform customer service, human agents remain irreplaceable in highly nuanced situations and when it comes to building lasting relationships.
“We expect fewer human agents, but not completely agentless organizations. The most successful organizations are those that balance technology with the human touch, redeploying their teams to focus on growth and customer satisfaction,” said Kathy Ross, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service and Support practice.
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The expert suggests that leaders with a strategic focus recognize that high-value customer interactions set organizations apart and drive long-term growth and satisfaction.
“Service and support leaders should leverage AI for efficiency, but not at the expense of human talent,” advised Ross. “While AI excels at handling routine and well-defined problems, it often struggles with exceptions and high-risk scenarios.”
The Fortune 500 represents the top US companies ranked by annual revenue, roughly two-thirds of the US gross domestic product (GDP). As of this year, these companies collectively generate $20 trillion in revenue and $2 trillion in profit and employ approximately 30,836,000 people.
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