Enterprise CX Leaders Reject AI-Only Customer Service, Prefer Human-AI Teams
Seventy-three percent of enterprise customer experience leaders want hybrid models that combine AI with human agents, according to new research from Liveops. Only 6% prefer AI-only automation, while 21% still favor human-only support.
The 2026 AI Maturity Benchmark surveyed 815 enterprise executives with decision-making authority over contact centers globally. The findings show that as AI tools become more common in customer service, leaders are being deliberate about where they deploy them.
Where AI Works, Where Humans Stay in Control
Enterprise leaders see AI as a tool to improve speed and consistency-handling routine tasks, managing volume, and flagging issues. They keep humans in charge of decisions that require judgment, empathy, or carry higher risk.
The data backs this up. Sixty-one percent of organizations have already moved past early experiments and are either actively using AI in workflows or automating defined tasks with human oversight. Only 14% have reached a stage where AI continuously adapts and optimizes decisions in real time without human involvement.
Uneven Progress Across Industries
Gaming companies lead in advanced AI maturity, with 61% in the more advanced stages. FinTech, digital enterprises, and media follow at 58%.
Regulated and infrastructure-heavy sectors lag. The public sector has the highest concentration of organizations still in early experimentation, at 47%. Green energy, pharmaceuticals, and utilities also show slower adoption.
The Real Bottleneck: People, Not Technology
Change management and workforce readiness ranked as the top constraint to CX transformation. Data security and compliance concerns came second.
This matters for support teams directly. Organizations need people trained to work alongside AI, managers who understand when to override automation, and quality controls to catch failures.
Preference for hybrid models held consistent across every surveyed market, with strongest support in the U.S., Japan, and the U.K.
For support professionals, the takeaway is clear: AI is arriving, but as a teammate, not a replacement. The next phase of CX work will depend on how well organizations blend automated workflows with human expertise-and that requires training, clear processes, and teams that know which decisions belong to which.
Learn more about AI for Customer Support and AI Agents & Automation to prepare for these shifts in your organization.
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