The past week brought significant shifts in how companies use AI agents for customer service. Airbnb completed its U.S. rollout of an AI support bot that now handles half of all customer inquiries. CEO Brian Chesky reported a 15% drop in live agent contacts, showing how automation can streamline basic requests. However, the company remains cautious about expanding AI to travel planning, focusing first on perfecting customer service tools.

In a surprise move, Klarna (Sweden) reversed its AI-only approach by rehiring human agents. After claiming its chatbot could replace 700 workers last year, the company now emphasizes that "customers should always choose human help". Their new strategy uses AI for quick answers but keeps humans available for emotional or complex cases—a model experts call "AI support, not replacement."

Google unveiled early tests of Live for AI Mode, a camera-based tool letting users talk to AI through voice and visuals. While not yet public, this could transform customer service by allowing live product troubleshooting via smartphone cameras. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s new $799 AI laptops with Copilot+ features aim to put advanced AI tools in more hands globally, helping agents work faster.

These developments show companies wrestling with AI’s limits. While bots handle routine tasks well (like Airbnb’s booking changes), humans still excel at empathy-heavy interactions. As OpenAI faces governance questions, the industry seems focused on hybrid models that combine AI speed with human care—a trend likely to shape customer service worldwide.