PAC Predictions 2021: AI - the ultimate game changer in the CX market

In the last couple of years, the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) has increased, and it has now reached a level where it is considered a game changer in digital transformation. The possibilities seem endless – from autonomous driving, through more efficient production processes, to the creation of completely new business models.

The benefits for consumers and providers are clear: AI can improve the experiences of customers and create efficiency gains for companies. It does this by better analyzing internal and external data, as well as adding a level of automation to the interaction.

AI systems understand unstructured information in a way that is similar to humans’. In addition to the sheer consumption of large amounts of data, they also learn from interactions. This intelligence allows them to connect data and deduce appropriate and actionable insights. Considering the positive synergetic effect stemming from the combination of human and computational knowledge, AI in CX allows for smarter, faster decision-making based on real data.

We expect three main cases to dominate the discussion around using AI to drive the customer experience in 2021:

1. New ways of interacting with (potential) customers, e.g. conversational interfaces;
2. Efficiency improvements in CX-related processes, e.g. more time-efficient analysis of customer data and/or greater personalization of offers, and employee (working at the customer interface) intelligence augmentation;
3. Enriching digital customer platforms with AI will take the customer experience to a new level (as it allows for better scalability). In addition to optimizing the CX, it will create new opportunities for businesses by increasing operational efficiency, boosting sales, and facilitating decision-making.

Both CX and AI will continue to grow in their own right in the near future. However, we expect the intersection of these two topics to be one of the most dynamic trends in the coming 12 months.

Learn more about the top 10 IT trends, which we believe will have the greatest impact in 2021.