In a Q&A with Katie Saunders for The CTO Club, Convoso CPO and Co-Founder, Bobby Hakimi discussed the evolving role of AI chatbots in contact centers and why he believes they are here to stay, despite talk of an “AI Winter.” Here are the highlights:

AI’s Growing Role in Customer Service

Hakimi argues that AI in contact centers isn’t slowing down but is instead becoming indispensable. He states, “We’ve just scratched the surface. AI will become the front line of communication. As it becomes smarter, it will be able to handle personalization better.” He emphasizes that AI is a “must-have efficiency tool” that will be increasingly adopted by contact centers to maintain a competitive edge.

Balancing Automation with Human Touch

While AI can handle many routine tasks, he asserts that it’s crucial to combine it with human agents for complex interactions.  “Customers are going to prefer to talk to AI” because of its “speed, efficiency, and consistent performance,” but human agents are still needed for personalized support.

Investing in Sustainable AI Solutions

Hakimi advises contact centers to utilize AI solutions from leading vendors like OpenAI and Google to stay current as technology advances. “If you don’t adapt, you will fall behind.”

Tackling Challenges and Misconceptions

AI isn’t plug-and-play; it requires strategic setup and ongoing refinement. He points out common misconceptions: “People sometimes think AI will deliver immediate ROI. But it takes time to optimize the system before you’ll see a return on investment.” He stresses that “the more specific the prompt is, the more powerful and quality the output will be.”

Read the full interview

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