This week saw major advancements in AI agents transforming customer service. Verizon reported a 96% accuracy rate and shorter call times after using Google Cloud's AI tools, showing how generative AI helps human agents work faster. Bank of America shared that over 90% of their global team uses an AI assistant named Erica, which has handled 2.5 billion client requests since 2018.

Experts predict agentic AI (self-operating AI) will resolve 80% of common issues by 2029, making service faster and cheaper. New tools like empathetic AI are learning to detect customer feelings through voice tones, aiming to make interactions feel more human. Companies like Google Cloud say AI is turning customer service into a revenue driver by reducing cart abandonment and keeping shoppers happy.

While AI handles simple tasks, humans still step in for tricky problems. A study found mixing AI speed with human empathy gives the best results, especially for angry or confused customers.