AI in customer support

Topic

The application of artificial intelligence to handle customer service inquiries. Klarna's success in this area is highlighted as a prime example of AI's real-world economic impact and potential for job displacement.


First Mentioned

1/3/2026, 4:16:33 AM

Last Updated

1/3/2026, 4:22:05 AM

Research Retrieved

1/3/2026, 4:22:05 AM

Summary

AI in customer support represents the integration of machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and generative models to automate and enhance service interactions. This technological shift is characterized by the deployment of AI-powered chatbots and 'agent-assist' tools that handle routine inquiries, triage support tickets, and provide personalized real-time responses. A prominent real-world application is seen in Klarna, which utilized OpenAI technology to replace 700 human agents, demonstrating significant productivity gains but also causing market disruption for traditional call center operators like Teleperformance. While AI offers benefits such as 24/7 availability and scalability, its implementation faces challenges related to data quality and algorithmic bias, as seen in Google's Gemini model. The evolution of this field has also created a burgeoning market for AI training data, where platforms like Reddit and Stack Overflow license content to AI developers to improve model accuracy.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Economic Impact

    Replacement of 700 human agents at Klarna; significant stock price volatility for call center operators

  • Core Technologies

    Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Generative AI

  • Market Terminology

    Tac 2.0 (The market for AI training data licensing)

  • Data Licensing Value

    $60,000,000 per year (Google's agreement with Reddit)

  • Primary Applications

    Chatbots, Agent-Assist Tools, Ticket Triaging, and Sentiment Analysis

  • Key Performance Indicators

    Customer retention rates and self-service success rates

Timeline
  • Klarna announces it has replaced 700 customer service agents with an AI assistant, leading to a stock price drop for Teleperformance. (Source: dc653a59-1711-437d-95cf-b5b07878217e)

    2024-02-22

  • Google enters a $60 million annual licensing deal with Reddit to access data for AI training. (Source: dc653a59-1711-437d-95cf-b5b07878217e)

    2024-02-22

  • Public controversy arises regarding Google's Gemini model producing biased and historically inaccurate images. (Source: dc653a59-1711-437d-95cf-b5b07878217e)

    2024-02-22

  • Kustomer publishes a report detailing 12 real-world applications of AI in customer support workflows. (Source: web_search_results)

    2025-07-22

Customer service

Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to those who buy or use its products or services, either in person or remotely. Customer service is often practiced in a way that reflects the strategies and values of a firm, and levels vary according to the industry. Good quality customer service is usually measured through customer retention. Successful customer service interactions are dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the customer". Customer service in some cases is part of the firm's intangible assets and can differentiate it from others in the industry. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization. It is expected that AI-based chatbots will significantly impact customer service and call centre roles and will increase productivity substantially. Many organisations have already adopted AI chatbots to improve their customer service experience. The evolution in the service industry has identified the needs of consumers. Companies usually create policies or standards to guide their personnel to follow their particular service package. A service package is a combination of tangible and intangible characteristics a firm uses to take care of its clients.

Web Search Results
  • Benefits of AI in Customer Service: Top 5 Advantages ...

    AI in customer service refers to the integration of artificial intelligence to make customer support better and easier. It involves the deployment of machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), chatbots, and other AI-powered solutions to automate tasks, provide personalized assistance, and improve overall customer experience. [...] ## What is AI in customer service? AI in customer service pertains to the use of artificial intelligence in everyday customer support operations to automate tasks, streamline workflows, provide personalized assistance, and improve overall customer experience. An example of AI in customer service is the use of AI-powered chatbots to give personalized answers to customer queries in real time. ## Top 9 benefits of using AI in customer service [...] AI scales effortlessly with your business. Whether your system needs to handle 100 or 10,000 customer queries, AI can respond with the same level of efficiency and speed. For customer support teams, AI can help triage support tickets, prioritize urgent issues, and offer self-service solutions at scale, allowing human agents to focus on high-value interactions.

  • 7 benefits of using AI in customer service

    AI in customer service is the use of advanced technologies to enhance and automate customer support. This can include the use of chatbots, virtual assistants, natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and more. AI can supercharge your customer service processes to make it easier and more efficient for customers to interact with your business. ## How can AI support customer service teams

  • 12 Real-World Applications of AI in Customer Support

    Zoom in on one high-impact, repeatable problem AI can solve in your support workflow. This could be automating password reset inquiries, triaging support tickets, or giving agents real-time reply suggestions. By narrowing your scope, you gain tighter control over training data, better evaluation metrics, and faster wins that justify further investment. It also allows your internal team to learn and iterate without being overwhelmed by complexity. [...] Explore real-world examples of AI in customer service. See how businesses use chatbots, agent-assist tools, and analytics to improve efficiency and satisfaction. Hope Dorman Jul 22, 2025 36 min read Artificial Intelligence in customer service isn't a far-off promise—it's a practical tool that teams are using right now to solve real problems. From slashing response times to personalizing support at scale, AI helps businesses free up their agents for the high-impact work that matters most. [...] Agent Assist Tools, sometimes referred to as AI-powered co-pilots or real-time guidance systems, are AI tools that support customer service agents during live interactions. Unlike bots that handle customer interactions autonomously, Agent Assist tools augment human agents by providing them with intelligent suggestions, contextual knowledge, and next-best actions during a conversation. How it works:

  • 11 Examples Of AI In Customer Service

    One of the most common uses of AI in customer service is customer service chatbots. Businesses use chatbots for a variety of reasons with automating customer support interactions being number one. Support teams use chatbots to automate the most repetitive and redundant customer support inquiries.tThis includes information for routine questions about personal accounts, order status, and product or service usage, plus much more depending on a business's industry. [...] In today's customer support world, AI can be used on both the customer-facing side and the agent-facing side. AI can help automate repetitive customer inquiries that send customers canned responses containing the information they seek. When a support query and question can't be automated those tickets then get sent to agents who get hard at work sifting through mountains of past ticket history and their internal company wiki to find the correct information for that question, which often takes [...] AI can help improve self-service rates; customer self-service rate refers to the rate that customers are able to identify and find the support they need without relying on a customer service agent. With the help of AI customers can consult chatbots that automatically produce the information they are seeking. The right AI tool for customer support embeds into a support agents helpdesk and learns from a company's historical data including past tickets, internal company wikis, external-facing

  • AI for Customer Experience: Benefits & Challenges

    ## What Is AI In Customer Experience? AI in customer experience is the application of artificial intelligence to improve how businesses engage with and support their customers. It uses tools such as machine learning, natural language processing, and advanced analytics to automate routine tasks, personalize interactions, and optimize service delivery across all channels. [...] An AI customer experience enhances every customer interaction by making support faster, smarter, and more personalized Both customers and businesses benefit from shorter wait times and seamless journeys to greater efficiency, cost savings, and new revenue opportunities Core applications of AI in CX include chatbots, generative AI, predictive analytics, sentiment analysis, quality assurance, and CRM optimization [...] Examples of AI in customer experience include chatbots, virtual assistants, predictive analytics, and sentiment analysis. By analyzing large volumes of customer data, AI can help organizations anticipate needs, recommend next best actions, and deliver timely, relevant support. This allows companies to respond faster, maintain consistency, and create experiences that feel more seamless and tailored to each individual.