The following is a guest contributed post from James Ramey, CEO of DeviceBits.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), has evolved the standards of daily living. Consumers today use the latest devices for their needs, and this wouldn’t be possible without various industries developing apps and platforms using AI technology. This constant development of technology is leaving an impression that it will be able to take over key jobs, yet when you view AI in a more positive light, as what it has achieved for many customer care systems, it serves as the answer to potentially creating more jobs.
Today, the customer service industry is realizing the pressure of providing fast and efficient service to customers. But is it enough? This question often leads to brands turning to AI for assistance. A familiar tool powered by AI that many consumers see via webpages and social platforms is the Chatbot. Aside from Chatbots, AI can work by directing complicated questions to live agents who are available to take on complex matters. AI and live human agents work together to create a quick and positive experience for consumers.
How do consumers feel about AI taking up the role in automation and jobs? In a recent article by Harvard Business Review, numerous studies were conducted in finding out the thoughts of consumers. One side believed as much as 47% of jobs would become automated by the year 2033, and one side said only 4% of jobs would be lost to AI by 2020. Safe to say not everyone believes AI will take away many jobs for Americans, but mostly AI will be (and already is) the tech companion today’s large companies utilize for tech-to-tech tasks.
We can’t disregard that AI technologies are poised to replace a few customer care positions at the “tier-one” level. Tier-one positions usually cover first-response queries, such as those offshore customer care centers. However, because of the limit on needing live agents for tier-one positions, “tier-two” positions will grow, which is where we need live agents for the complex questions customers have.
With the amount of general questions asked by customers to live agents, it makes sense for companies to create AI-based self-service materials so customers don’t have to make a call. With downloadable self-support materials and online support from chatbots, this cuts back the need for tier-one agents. Not stating all tier-one jobs should be replaced by machines, but if a large company would like to limit their tier-one positions and expand their tier-two department, using AI will be beneficial. The world is moving quickly with the latest tech devices and software, and consumers will be asking advanced questions to be able to enjoy their devices.
There is also another side of the discussion of AI being able to create more jobs. AI can aid in expanding the need for live agents to take care of complex matters, but AI can also be used by live agents in customer service. It’s the smart assistant for live agents when they encounter complex questions.
Live agents will be able to access online materials powered by AI to aid them in their customer interactions. Combining AI with a live agent’s personal customer interactions is a great example of how AI is here for positive, successful customer engagements.
With more companies adopting AI into their customer care plans, knowledge of other technological advancements are becoming the standards of the workforce. Companies will be looking for those who are familiar and can work in technical fields, specifically AI. Will this mean AI is changing job descriptions and taking away simple jobs? Not necessarily, simple task jobs that don’t require AI will still be available. If anything, the advancement of AI will create jobs across many industries for companies seeking employees in IT and similar departments.
