Artificial intelligence is taking over customer service faster than anyone expected. New reports show that AI will handle 95% of all customer interactions by 2025. This means when you call a company for help, you'll probably talk to a smart computer program instead of a human person.

These AI helpers are much smarter than old chatbots. The new ones can understand what you're really asking for and solve complicated problems. They work 24 hours a day and never get tired. Companies using these AI tools say they solve problems 44% faster and cut call time in half.

Apple joined the AI customer service game this week by testing a new feature called Support Assistant. Right now, only a small group of iPhone users in the United States can try it. The AI can help fix phone problems, explain how features work, and answer questions about Apple products. If the AI can't solve your problem, it will connect you to a human worker who can help.

Big companies are investing heavily in AI customer service. Capacity, a company that makes AI tools for call centers, received $92 million in new funding. They used this money to buy two other companies that make AI even better at helping customers. The combined company will help contact centers work faster and train human agents better.

One of the companies Capacity bought, called Call Criteria, uses AI to listen to phone calls and help workers improve. The other company, Verbio Technologies from Spain, makes AI that can have natural conversations with customers over the phone.

However, customers have mixed feelings about AI taking over customer service. A new study found that while 48% of people think AI will make Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping easier, over 90% still have concerns about using AI for important purchases. Many people worry about sharing personal information with computer programs.

The study showed that only 32% of people feel comfortable telling an AI assistant about their personal preferences. Also, 53% of customers sometimes think real messages from companies are spam, which shows how hard it is to build trust.

Even the U.S. government is embracing AI customer service tools. This week, ChatGPT was made available to all federal employees across the country. This is a big deal because it shows that government agencies trust AI enough to use it for official work.

Companies are seeing real benefits from AI in customer service. The new AI tools can provide hyper-personalization, which means they remember what each customer likes and needs. For example, if you've called before about a specific problem, the AI remembers and can help you faster next time.

The future of customer service is changing quickly. Human workers won't disappear, but their jobs will change. Instead of answering basic questions all day, they'll focus on complex problems that need human judgment. This could make customer service jobs more interesting and meaningful.

Experts predict that 80% of customer service organizations will adopt these advanced AI tools very soon. Companies that don't upgrade their customer service with AI might fall behind their competitors who offer faster, smarter help to their customers.