Cisco is betting that artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to handle most customer service calls within a few years, as the tech giant has unveiled a conversational AI agent that it claims will eliminate dreaded wait times and frustrating automated phone menus.
The move reflects a broader push by companies to deploy AI agents that can understand and respond to customer queries in natural language. This could change a global customer service industry that has long relied on human representatives.
Unlike traditional automated systems that follow rigid scripts, these new AI agents can engage in more natural dialogue and perform complex tasks, such as rebooking flights or replacing credit cards, that typically require human intervention.
“In dynamic environments such as call centers or complex operational systems, AI agents excel at responding to real-time changes,” Frederic Miskawi, VP and AI Innovation Expert Services Lead at CGI, a global IT and business consulting firm, told PYMNTS. “They can improve customer service by delivering faster response times, improving resolution rates and avoiding the fatigue that human agents experience during long shifts.”
AI agents are autonomous software systems that perform tasks by breaking them down into steps and making decisions. They are deployed as digital workers who can schedule meetings, research topics and manage workflows with minimal human supervision.
The Webex Agent Move
Cisco’s new Webex AI Agent, announced at the WebexOne conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aims to serve as an AI-powered concierge that can handle customer queries through natural conversations. The system will be available in early 2025 and will have tools to help companies quickly set up and train AI agents for voice and digital customer service channels.
“Customer experience can make or break a brand, and unlike other solutions on the market, the Webex AI Agent solves customer problems immediately and will fundamentally transform the experiences we’ve all been using reluctantly for far too long,” said Jeetu Patel , executive vice president, and chief product officer at Cisco, in a press release.
“We believe that in the coming years, a vast majority of first calls will be handled by an AI agent that will be as interactive, dynamic, engaging and personal as a human agent.”
Working with agents
As AI continues its rapid evolution, companies are grappling with a growing number of industry experts who say that these tools, while promising, require organizations to remain flexible in their technical approaches as technology changes.
According to Miskawi, the solution lies in building modular systems that can adapt quickly. Rather than betting on a single platform that could be obsolete within two years, companies are adopting component-based architectures that can be interchanged or upgraded. While this approach accepts some of the technical debt, it allows organizations to stay current without complete system overhauls.
“Flexibility in architecture will be your most valuable asset,” Miskawi said.
Sophia Willows, head of engineering at e-commerce company Rye, told PYMNTS that working directly with large language models gives technically advanced organizations the highest level of control over their AI systems. However, this DIY approach comes with risks and complexities when moving from proof-of-concept to full production implementation.
Willows said the public AI missteps of major companies like Air Canada and Chevrolet show that most organizations would be better served by choosing more managed solutions rather than building their own implementations from scratch.
“Off the shelf, low-code agent builders like Microsoft Copilot Studio or Beam AI look increasingly attractive,” Willows said. “They require less upfront development effort, and providers have invested heavily in keeping the agents grounded and protected against things like hallucinations, making them more reliable and easier to integrate.”
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