Contact Center Pipeline July 2025 | Page 8

Automation in the contact center appears to be expanding rapidly. Accelerating by AI advancements( like Agentic AI) and the drive by the C-suite to adopt these tools to cut costs while enhancing revenue-growing strong, positive CXs.

The question, then, is: Have or will contact centers shortly cross the Rubicon where live agents are the exception, for limited uses, and where automated interactions are the norm? And if so, what roles do you see live agents playing?

KEVIN MCNULTY: We’ re not crossing a line where live agents disappear. We’ re redefining what it means to be an agent. The goal isn’ t to replace humans. It’ s to reimagine their role in a world where AI Agents can now handle a significant portion of the customer journey. That shift doesn’ t make live agents obsolete; it makes them more valuable, but in different ways.

Instead of being front line responders for every issue, human agents are evolving into orchestrators, advisors, and specialists. They’ re managing more complex scenarios and, in some cases, overseeing a team of AI Agents working in parallel.

Picture an agent collaborating with a billing agent, a fraud-checking agent, and a scheduling agent— all digital— and stepping in only when judgment, escalation, or human empathy is needed.

This isn’ t science fiction. It’ s the next logical step in contact center evolution: AI Agents and humans working side by side as true teammates.

Automation becomes the norm, but humans still provide the oversight, the escalation path, and the creative problem-solving. In this model, the contact center doesn’ t lose its people. It frees them to focus on what machines can’ t do well alone: context, trust, and high-stakes decision-making.

SARIKA PRASAD: While Agentic AI is rapidly transforming contact center operations, it has not yet reached the tipping point where live agents are the exception. That said, it is quickly getting closer.

AI Agents are already handling a growing share of customer interactions, from responding to routine inquiries and managing self-service journeys to executing satisfaction surveys. These capabilities are redefining efficiency and consistency across contact centers.

However, when interactions go beyond the basics, like FAQs, scheduling, or initial routing, the human touch remains essential. Live agents are still the frontline for complexity, emotion, and high-stakes conversations. From resolving nuanced service issues to offering emotional support during distressing moments, their role is irreplaceable.

AI, for all its speed and scalability, still struggles to grasp the subtle cues of human communication, such as tone or emotional undertones: the very elements that often define a great CX.

As Agentic AI continues to evolve, its ability to manage more sophisticated interactions will grow. In time, we’ ll see AI take on more advanced tasks, such as basic troubleshooting, contextual personalization, and intelligent escalation.

This evolution does not render live agents obsolete, rather it redefines their role. They’ ll become“ experience architects”, stepping in not just to solve problems, but to shape meaningful moments. They ' ll be the voice of trust in emotionally charged scenarios, especially in industries like healthcare and financial services, where stakes are high, and empathy matters most.

In this future, the contact center isn’ t automated or human: it’ s harmonized. And that harmony will be the key to both efficiency and enduring customer loyalty.

NEERAJ VERMA: Customer service is undergoing a major transformation, with AI-driven automation becoming the new standard for managing routine interactions.

But this doesn ' t mean live agents are becoming obsolete: far from it. Their roles are evolving, and they’ re now working alongside AI as a powerful partner. AI augments agents by delivering real-time insights, flagging potential vulnerabilities, suggesting appropriate responses, and handling repetitive tasks.

This is freeing agents to focus on what matters most: interactions that are complex, emotionally nuanced and require critical thinking, empathy, and creativity. Areas where AI still has limitations. These high-value interactions demand personalized solutions and a human touch that only a live agent can provide.

This partnership between humans and AI isn’ t just efficient: it’ s transformative. It enables smarter, faster, and more empathetic service, ultimately elevating the CX.

Most organizations have only scratched the surface. Basic inquiries and transactional tasks are being automated, but more complex, high-value interactions still largely rely on live agents. The gap isn’ t due to a lack of potential: it’ s due to limitations in tooling, data, and trust.

Traditional automation often breaks down when interactions require reasoning, involve multiple systems, or demand personalization. Many platforms still rely on rigid scripts, brittle integrations, and siloed data, which makes it hard to scale beyond narrow use cases.

And while Generative AI has opened the door to more natural conversations, businesses are rightly concerned about risk, hallucinations, and control.

This is where multi-agent, governed automation— like what we’ re seeing with emerging Agentic AI platforms— offers a path forward.

By using AI Agents that collaborate, draw from a shared data foundation, and operate with human-in-the-loop guardrails, automation can take on more nuanced, outcome-driven work. The shift is from automating tasks to automating outcomes. And that’ s where real value gets unlocked.

SP: While automation has made significant inroads into contact center operations, there are still some key areas for growth. Specifically, when it comes to earning consumer trust and delivering on rising expectations for personalized, engaging service.

8 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE