OCTOBER 2018CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM83 Ways Human+Machines are the Real Future of AI in Customer ServiceDAVE PEARSON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CIO, SYKES ENTERPRISES, INCORPORATED [NASDAQ:SYKE]D on't count the humans out yet. While some industry experts predict that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace humans in a few years, I think we'll be sticking around, at least for a while. It's the human+machine equation that will be the real future of AI and the power that will drive AI innovation. I especially see this in the realm of delivering on the promise of a truly intelligent customer experience, one that combines the best of both traditional and digital worlds. Although we will see AI combine with digital capabilities to take over some of the basic customer service needs, there will be more complex questions that will still require the inimitable magic of human problem-solving. Forrester makes a similar assessment. Daniel Hong, research director at Forrester, writes that "humans will play a critical role in the ongoing optimization of AI," as "having a successful AI-driven customer service or sales program will depend on the processes that support a blended AI approach." While blended AI is taking many different forms, essentially it involves combining the distinctly human qualities of common sense, emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving and intuition with the super-human abilities of AI. In the blink of an eye, AI can sift through a gazillion data points to identify complicated patterns and automate repeatable processes without ever getting tired or discouraged. Just imagine what we can accomplish when we put these capabilities all together. Digitize. Automate. Enhance. One of the keys to implementing blended AI in customer service involves digitizing the massive amounts of data that are still in voice form. While technology is getting better at converting voice to digital formats, AI still requires the assistance of humans to provide context by tagging and labeling IN MY View
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