Generative AI Tools

One of the most significant use cases for generative AI in business is customer service and support.

Most of us have likely experienced the frustration of dealing with traditional automated systems. However, today’s advanced AI, powered by large language models and natural language chatbots, is rapidly improving these interactions. While many still prefer human agents for complex or sensitive issues, AI is proving highly capable of handling routine inquiries efficiently.

Here’s an overview of some of the top AI-powered tools for automating customer service. Although the human element will always be essential in customer experience, these tools free up human agents from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex challenges requiring empathy and creativity.

Cognigy

Cognigy is an AI platform designed to automate customer service voice and chat channels. It goes beyond simply reading FAQ responses by delivering personalized, context-sensitive answers in multiple languages. Cognigy’s AI Copilot feature enhances human contact center workers by offering real-time AI assistance during interactions, making both fully automated and human-augmented support possible.

IBM WatsonX Assistant

IBM’s WatsonX Assistant helps businesses create AI-powered personal assistants to streamline tasks, including customer support. With its drag-and-drop configuration, companies can set up seamless self-service experiences. The platform uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to ensure that responses are accurate and up-to-date, continuously improving as it learns from customer interactions.

Salesforce Einstein Service Cloud

Einstein Service Cloud, part of the Salesforce platform, automates routine and complex customer service tasks. Its AI-powered Agentforce bots manage “low-touch” interactions, while “high-touch” cases are overseen by human agents supported by AI. Fully customizable, Einstein ensures that responses align with your brand’s tone and voice, all while leveraging enterprise data securely.

Zendesk AI

Zendesk, a leader in customer support, integrates generative AI to boost its service offerings. By using machine learning and natural language processing, Zendesk understands customer sentiment and intent, generates personalized responses, and automatically routes inquiries to the most suitable agent—be it human or machine. It also provides human agents with real-time guidance on resolving issues efficiently.

Ada

Ada is a conversational AI platform built for large-scale customer service automation. Its no-code interface allows businesses to create custom bots, reducing the cost of handling inquiries by up to 78% per ticket. By integrating domain-specific data, Ada helps improve both support efficiency and customer experience across omnichannel support environments.

More AI Tools for Customer Service

There are numerous other AI tools designed to enhance automated customer support:

Aivo: Automates interactions across chat and social platforms.
Certainly: Tailored for e-commerce, providing generative customer support and ticketing.
Directly: Combines AI and human experts for on-demand customer support.
Forethought: Handles complex customer interactions with advanced AI agents.
Freshworks Freshdesk: Features AI assistant Freddy, which automates workflows and personalized query resolution.
Gladly: Automates both simple and complex inquiries while routing to human agents as needed.
Intercom: Resolves common customer questions with AI-powered automation.
LivePerson: Uses chatbots and real-time messaging, paired with analytics, to improve customer engagement.
Netomi: Focuses on “sanctioned” AI, ensuring responses adhere to brand guidelines and regulatory standards.
Ultimate: Recently acquired by Zendesk, it powers automation for resolving repetitive support tasks using ChatGPT.
Zoom Virtual Agent: Provides customer service agents for the Zoom app, enhancing remote meeting and messaging experiences.

While AI tools are transforming customer service, the key lies in using them to complement human agents, allowing for a balance of efficiency and personalized care.