Companies are shifting from AI automation to AI orchestration in support

In short: More companies are realizing that adding AI to customer support is not enough, they also need better coordination so all their tools work together.

What's going on

Businesses are rolling out AI agents and voice AI across phone calls, chat, email, and messaging apps. An AI agent is software that can handle steps in a task on its own, like checking an order status or resetting a password. Tata Communications says many companies are doing this faster than their older customer support systems can handle.

Gaurav Anand, who leads Tata Communications’ customer interaction products, says a common mistake is “bolting” AI onto legacy systems. Legacy systems are older tools that were not designed for today’s fast, back and forth conversations. The result can feel like a new version of old phone menus, where customers still get bounced around, just with a more human sounding voice.

The bigger problem shows up when a human support agent has to take over. If information is split across separate tools, the agent has to piece together what the AI already told the customer. Anand says companies need a shared context layer, which is like a single notebook that keeps the customer’s story in one place across channels.

Tata Communications is promoting its own approach, called Interaction Fabric, which it describes as an “orchestration layer.” Orchestration means connecting steps end to end, like a conductor keeping different musicians in sync.

What to watch

More vendors are likely to build or buy tools that connect AI, people, and customer data in real time. For customers, the test is simple: when you switch from chat to a phone call, does the company already know what happened, or do you have to repeat everything?

Source: Venturebeat