From automation to empathy: How Agentic AI is redefining the future of contact centres

As customer expectations continue to rise, contact centres are undergoing a profound transformation driven by Agentic AI. Siddharth Shah, Director – India, Zendesk, talks about how organisations can strike the right balance between automation and human touch, prepare teams for the great reskilling underway, and build resolution-focused contact centres that don’t just respond to customers, but genuinely earn their trust and loyalty.

The evolving role of the human agent in the contact center – what does this mean in the age of Agentic AI? What roles will change in the contact center and why?

Agentic AI is redefining the contact centre by fundamentally altering what it means to be a customer service agent. Many agents today still spend most of their time handling Tier 0 and Tier 1 requests like password resets, order updates and other predictable tasks, which are now increasingly automated by AI.

The anxiety within India’s BPO sector about job displacement is well founded, and it would be irresponsible to dismiss these concerns. While automation will undoubtedly take over much of the routine work, the role of human agents is far from redundant. Instead, it is evolving. Agents are stepping into more complex roles, acting as AI orchestrators who resolve complex issues, guide customers through emotionally charged situations, and apply the kind of judgment and empathy that machines cannot replicate. Instead of being tied up in routine volume, they will be focusing on the moments that actually build loyalty and lasting relationships.

Team structures are also evolving: managers must now oversee blended teams of human and AI agents, ensuring that each issue is handled by the right skill at the right moment. There is growing demand for roles like AI service architects, those who design, oversee, and govern these systems, ensuring they align with business, ethical, and operational expectations.

It’s natural for frontline teams to worry about what this means for jobs. What actually disappears is the repetitive work that once limited the use of human strengths like empathy, judgment, creativity, and problem-solving. The challenge and opportunity is helping teams navigate this transition, building skills that put distinctly human value at the centre of customer experience.

How can businesses balance human-automation strategies given the people-centric nature of customer experience?

Getting the mix right between people and automation isn’t a straightforward decision, or something you can set and forget. AI works best as the adaptive intelligence layer that clears low-value work and supports agents in real time as a copilot. With AI at their side, agents can access customer history, suggested responses, and next best actions, helping them solve problems more efficiently and focus on the moments that require deeper judgement or a human touch.

Crucially, every industry and every business will land on a different point in the automation spectrum. Some can comfortably automate up to 80% of interactions, but sectors like healthcare and financial services tend to keep more work in human hands due to the complexity and sensitivity involved.

Leaders play a key role in calibrating these boundaries. They are responsible for designing the workflows and routing logic that plays to the strengths of both AI and people, while setting up escalation paths for truly complex cases. This approach relies on ongoing review of customer data, adjusting automation levels over time, and ensuring that where nuance, empathy or cultural context matter, humans stay involved. Organisations that do this well achieve greater efficiency and earn the trust and loyalty of today’s customers.

Are there any specific curriculum and strategic investments CX leaders must make now to address this ‘Great Reskilling’ and ensure India leads the next wave of intelligent outsourcing?

The shift to AI-powered customer experience is surfacing new skill demands for CX teams. A recent IDC report found that 94% of CEOs and HR leaders view AI proficiency as the top skill for 2025, yet only 35% feel their teams are truly ready. This highlights a clear opportunity for companies to focus on building practical, adaptable skills for their agents and leaders.

There isn’t a universal curriculum, but in our work with customers, we see that the fundamentals are changing. Agents now need to be comfortable working with AI in context, not just following scripts, but actively interpreting AI-generated suggestions, assessing when to trust automation, and stepping in when a situation calls for human judgement. It’s about building confidence to use real-time prompts and workflow recommendations embedded in daily tools, not becoming AI experts for its own sake.

Equally, empathy and problem-solving are more important than ever, as agents are left with the most nuanced or emotionally charged interactions. The most effective organisations create open feedback loops between agents, team leads, and those designing customer workflows. This allows teams to share insights, troubleshoot edge cases, and keep improving how AI and human agents work together.

For leaders, bridging the skills gap requires an ongoing commitment to learning, practical training and honest communication about how roles are evolving. This real-world focus helps CX teams navigate change together and delivers the kind of customer experience that sets modern service leaders apart.

How can Agentic AI power a resolution-focused contact center?

Agentic AI brings a fundamental shift to the contact centre by placing resolution, not just response, at the core of customer service. Rather than simply triaging or routing inquiries, today’s AI is designed to grasp the full scope of a customer’s problem and coordinate multi-step actions across channels. This means issues aren’t just acknowledged; they’re actively worked towards a meaningful conclusion, whether that involves making changes in a customer’s account, coordinating with other departments, or anticipating follow-on needs.

A key advantage is how agentic AI keeps context at every step, drawing from past interactions and real-time information to guide both digital systems and human agents. When a situation requires deeper insight or human sensitivity, AI doesn’t work in isolation; it brings forward all relevant customer data, surfaces possible next actions, and ensures agents are empowered to make informed decisions quickly.

This partnership reduces friction and increases first-time resolution rates. Teams can identify and address root causes of issues, sometimes even before the customer notices them, turning the contact centre from a reactive support channel into a proactive driver of customer satisfaction. Ultimately, agentic AI sets the stage for contact centres to deliver outcomes that strengthen relationships, lower repeat contacts, and build genuine customer confidence.

Why does resolving problems and creating opportunities to delight turn CX into the ultimate loyalty loop?

Customer loyalty is built on trust, and trust grows each time a customer’s problem is genuinely resolved, not just acknowledged. When AI and human agents work together to deliver solutions, customers see reliability in action. This consistency is what keeps customers coming back, and just as importantly, inspires them to recommend a business to others.

Resolution is about making sure customers feel heard and see clear action, not just receiving a response. Reducing friction, minimising unnecessary handoffs, and ensuring agents have what they need to address problems fully helps contact centres turn each interaction into a positive experience. As service expectations continue to rise, keeping the focus on genuine resolution strengthens customer relationships and ensures the business remains relevant in a competitive market.