To that end, Chiancone is developing a new workflow that lets city hall deliver services directly to consumers far more seamlessly, in a far more conversational manner. If a resident owes a court fee or may face a higher water bill because of higher-than-usual water usage in the area, they will be contacted via phone by a GenAI-based application that will discuss the issue with them. If the resident says they can’t currently afford the court payment, the technology may suggest a six- or 12-month payment plan. If it hears a keyword or phrase such as “talk to an agent,” they will be automatically transferred to an agent.

AI can even enhance customer service reps’ability to behave more humanely, says customer experience author and advisor Adrian Swinscoe. He notes that Humana, the healthcare giant, uses a conversational analytics tool called Cogito that prompts reps to respond with more empathy—for example, to speak slowly when talking to older customers. After agents began using Cogito, the customer satisfaction rate went up 28% over three to four months, the company reports.

Others use AI as a triage or screening tool, says customer experience consultant Andrew Charles Moorhouse. The software acts as an “intent-level orchestration layer” that routes customer interactions to the best place for resolution. Chiancone, for example, hopes to develop an improved version of a 911 operator that would screen calls based on a complex set of rules. The AI, while presenting itself as empathetic, could very quickly determine if it could and should handle a request. “If it’s a simple query, the AI might be able to handle the whole call. But if it’s ‘my husband’s having a heart attack,’ a human would be automatically called in to take over,” he says.