"... IT’ S WITH CUSTOMER- FACING SCENARIOS THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE THE BIGGEST UPTAKE OF VOICE IN 2026 FOR AGENTIC AI IN THE CONTACT CENTER."
So, impatient Gen Z customers may wonder why an agent is taking forever to write complete sentences with punctuation rather than just fixing their problems.
• Broad-based industries such as banking, telecom, insurance, and utilities must support every major communication channel. That requires agents who can shift across demographics and communication styles.
The idea of a truly universal agent is appealing but difficult. Some people excel on the phone. Others excel in writing. Few excel equally in voice, email, chat, and SMS.
• Hiring, training, and coaching will need to adapt. Leaders must match the right skills to the right queues, support multiple communication styles, and ensure each channel is properly staffed with trained agents.
JON ARNOLD
J ARNOLD & ASSOCIATES
Around this time last year, I cited agentic AI as the big trend to watch for in 2025, especially for the contact center.
That has unfolded much as I expected, and it continues to drive how CX leaders are deploying AI. Agentic AI – also known as AI agents – takes automation to new levels, where these bots can manage tasks end-to-end without human intervention.
Building on this, for 2026 I expect to see voice take a more central role in how agentic AI is used. While it is still early days for agentic AI, the use cases related to CX are strong, both for customer-facing needs and internal operations.
Much of this relates to automating behind-the-scenes workflows, which frees up human agents to focus more intently on customer needs. These can largely be managed via text, but as agents and supervisors become more comfortable with agentic AI, they will be more inclined to interact via voice.
To some extent, the use of voice will grow for internal automation scenarios, especially in cases where it is easier or more convenient than text. However, it’ s with customer-facing scenarios that we should expect to see the biggest uptake of voice in 2026 for agentic AI in the contact center.
"... IT’ S WITH CUSTOMER- FACING SCENARIOS THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE THE BIGGEST UPTAKE OF VOICE IN 2026 FOR AGENTIC AI IN THE CONTACT CENTER."
-- JON ARNOLD
As the quality of speech recognition keeps improving, AI agents will be better able to gauge customer sentiment and intent and understand what needs to be done. This will allow them to extend self-service support to new levels, thus strengthening the business case for agentic AI in the contact center.
Similarly, for customers, as they experience better forms of self-service, the more comfortable they will be using voice to engage with AI agents.
With AI becoming normalized now across everything, it will no longer feel unnatural for customers to converse with virtual agents, and in some cases they will be hard-pressed to tell if they’ re speaking with a human or virtual agent.
This is exactly what contact centers want to see, as the more customers trust voice for self-service, the more impactful agentic AI can be in handling inquiries end-to-end.
DR. DEBRA BENTSON
PRIORITIZING PEOPLE: LESSONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
1. SUPPORTING REMOTE AGENTS
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the value of adaptability and revealed how differently people respond to remote work. While some thrive independently, others need a strong support network.
As we face ongoing pressures to do more with less— and as AI automates routine tasks— we must be deliberate in fostering the human connection. Efficiency is essential, but so is the wellbeing of our teams.
2. BALANCING EFFICIENCY WITH CONNECTION
Meetings are often targeted for streamlining. Clear agendas, concise notes, and focused action items help them run smoothly and efficiently.
Yet it ' s crucial not to lose the elements that build relationships. For example, starting staff meetings with“ connection before content”— sharing personal favorites or memories— creates laughter, strengthens bonds, and builds trust.
These moments may be hard to measure. But their impact is felt in team cohesion and morale.
8 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE