Your Next Customers Will Be AI. Are You Ready?
Machine customers, or custo-bots, are nearing widespread use. The customer experience (CX) industry stands on the edge of a significant shift. Are contact centers prepared to engage with AI agents acting on behalf of humans?
5 Contact Center Conversational AI Insights
Back in 2010, an app called LucyPhone emerged to solve a common frustration: long customer service wait times. It allowed users to hold their place in phone queues via a bot, freeing them from being stuck on hold. Although LucyPhone is no longer available, it was an early sign of the machine customers to come.
The app worked by relying on customer service agents to notify the bot when the caller reached the front of the queue. But many agents disconnected upon hearing a robotic voice. In fact, the Inland Revenue Service instructed agents to terminate calls from LucyPhone bots. This reaction highlights the challenges machine customers face in gaining acceptance.
LucyPhone was a modern take on the vendor relationship management (VRM) concept, which originated in 2000. The idea is simple: consumers need a force multiplier like brands use technology to scale their efforts. Recent advances in generative and agentic AI have brought this concept closer to reality, turning bots from simple placeholders into active decision-makers.
Accelerating Development of Machine Customers
In 2025, major players are investing heavily in machine customer technology. Google’s “Ask for Me” feature lets users delegate calls to AI agents, while Walmart plans AI-powered “super agents” to enhance customer experience. Gartner forecasts that by 2030, 15-20% of revenue will come from machine customers.
Agentic AI is becoming the preferred channel for millennials and Gen Z to start customer service interactions. This puts pressure on organizations to adapt. Simply refusing to engage with non-human customers, like the IRS did in 2010, risks falling behind competitors. Customers seek convenience and ease, and AI agents provide exactly that.
Impact on Customer Experience
Machine customers could reshape how organizations handle service and sales. Expect a surge in call volume as AI agents make inquiries on behalf of users. However, the value of these interactions may decline. Unlike human customers, bots don’t build relationships, offer feedback, or provide upsell opportunities.
Organizations might find themselves disconnected from actual customer needs, making growth and retention harder. Websites and call centers will need redesigns to accommodate AI agents that want data efficiently, not emotional engagement. This shift moves CX from a human-centric model toward one that supports machine decision-makers too.
Challenges Ahead for Machine Customers
Several hurdles remain before machine customers become mainstream. Interoperability is a big one. AI agents can recommend restaurants based on preferences but can’t yet seamlessly complete complex purchases using that data. Over time, this will improve, much like how SMS messaging overcame initial compatibility issues.
Privacy and legal concerns also create barriers. How does a vendor verify that a bot ordering groceries truly represents the customer? Small transactions may pass unnoticed, but larger purchases with physical shipments might require human confirmation, diluting the benefit of agent autonomy.
Competition will intensify as tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI battle for control. Some companies, like Walmart, prefer to develop in-house AI agents rather than rely on external bots. Google may have an edge thanks to its vast ecosystem and data access.
Preparing for a New Era
The CX industry must get ready for a future dominated by machine-to-machine interactions. Bots will do much more than hold your place in line—they’ll handle tasks, make decisions, and interact autonomously. Organizations that adapt to this shift early will stay ahead, while those clinging to old models risk falling behind.
To stay informed and build skills for this AI-driven future, consider exploring latest AI courses designed to help professionals understand and work alongside emerging AI technologies.
Your membership also unlocks:
