AI vs Humans: Will Customer Service Jobs Really Disappear?

“Totally, Totally Gone”: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Predicts the End of Human Customer Service

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently shared a stark prediction: artificial intelligence will wipe out entire job categories, with customer support roles at the top of the list. Speaking at the Federal Reserve’s conference in Washington, he said, “There are cases where entire classes of jobs will go away, [and] there are entirely new classes of jobs that will come.” When asked about specific jobs, Altman pointed to customer support staff as a role that will be “totally, totally gone.”

This isn’t just theory. Tech companies like Salesforce and ServiceNow have already automated 85% and 80% of their internal customer inquiries, respectively. Altman highlighted how AI has improved the customer support experience, eliminating frustrating phone trees and repeated transfers.

He described the old way of calling customer support—waiting on hold, talking to multiple agents, and often not getting the issue resolved—as “hours of pain.” Now, AI can handle calls like a “super smart, capable person” who doesn’t make mistakes and resolves issues quickly. “You call once, and the thing just happens. It’s done,” Altman said. His view is clear: soon, when you call customer support, you’ll be talking to an AI, and that will be perfectly fine.

The Reality Check: Human Service Isn’t Ending Anytime Soon

Despite Altman’s confident outlook, recent studies suggest a different story. Research firm Cavell projects that demand for human contact center agents will actually grow—from 15.3 million in 2025 to 16.8 million by 2029. AI may slow this growth but is unlikely to replace human reps in the near term.

Gartner’s research supports this, showing most service leaders expect workforce reductions of only about 5% or less due to AI advancements. On the other hand, a Microsoft report ranks “customer service reps” as the sixth most at-risk job from AI—but this is likely a longer-term threat.

Why Customers Still Prefer Humans

One core reason human customer support remains vital is customer preference. A 2025 report found that 81% of customers would rather wait for a live agent than get immediate assistance from AI. Customer service professionals often share this skepticism. Gartner found that 60% of human agents don’t recommend self-service AI, largely because of negative customer feedback rather than fear of losing their jobs.

Many customers try to escape AI-run support by pressing “zero” or shouting “agent” during calls, showing frustration with automated systems. This ongoing struggle makes it hard for many to imagine fully automated customer service anytime soon.

Still, AI’s pace of development is fast, and the customer service landscape may look very different in the future. For those working in customer support, staying informed and adapting to new AI tools can be crucial. If you want to learn how AI is shaping customer service roles and build skills to stay ahead, check out Complete AI Training’s courses for customer support professionals.