Can AI Earn Customer Trust as a Judge?

Companies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to handle customer interactions, but the technology often falls short of expectations. Automated systems may be able to quickly resolve straightforward requests, but they can also create frustration when customers have to repeat themselves or navigate through multiple transfers before reaching a human representative.

The issue is not just about the technical capabilities of AI, but also about how it integrates with human support and preserves trust, transparency, and judgment. Newsweek’s upcoming webinar, ‘Humanizing AI: Personalization, Engagement and the Customer Experience,’ will bring together four business and technology leaders to discuss these challenges and explore ways to make customer interactions more responsive, relevant, and useful.

The live discussion is scheduled for Thursday, July 30, at 2 p.m. Eastern, and will be presented by Cognizant. The panel will feature Nick Mehta, entrepreneur in residence at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CEO of Gainsight; Arun Chandra, chief operating officer at NiCE; Jon Hyman, co-founder and chief technology officer at Braze; and Adrian McDermott, chief technology officer at Zendesk.

Mehta noted that many current deployments have landed in an ‘uncanny valley’ between AI agents and human support. Automated systems may be able to handle straightforward requests quickly, but customers often have to repeat themselves when a representative takes over. This can create frustration and erode trust in the company’s ability to provide effective customer service.

Chandra emphasized that companies need to design the handoff before they deploy automation. ‘The path to get to a human should be completely frictionless and instantaneous,’ he said. A warm transfer, for example, should give the representative a clear account of what has already happened so the conversation can continue instead of restarting. AI can remain involved behind the scenes by surfacing context and possible responses for the employee.

Chandra also expects AI to change how customer service teams divide work between automated systems and employees, raising questions about how roles and skills will evolve. This shift is not just limited to customer support; Hyman pointed out that AI’s growing role in marketing and digital engagement means companies need to tailor their communications to strengthen the bonds with consumers.

Hyman noted that achieving relevance depends on information moving across teams, systems, and channels. Fragmented data can keep a company from recognizing a customer across channels or coordinating how it communicates. Faster content production also means little unless leaders can connect it to engagement, retention, or revenue.

McDermott challenged the assumption that customers will always view automated support as second-rate. Customers judge the experience by whether it resolves their issue without unnecessary waiting, repetition, or transfers. ‘Time is quality in service,’ he said.

The July 30 conversation will give business and technology leaders a practical view of the choices behind customer-facing AI, from data and handoffs to measurement and the role of employees.