Lots of people have lots of things to say about AI, but there’s one type that we are hyped about above all else: Augmented AI.
The reason is this: it’s not about AI taking over—it’s about humans and AI working together to make life easier for everyone.
So, what exactly is Augmented AI, why does it matter, and what does it mean for businesses and customer service? Let’s break it down.
In simple terms, Augmented AI is a blend of human expertise and AI. The AI handles the repetitive, boring stuff—like answering common questions or sorting tickets—so human agents can focus on more important, complex work that requires a human touch.
For example, AI can automatically handle order status inquiries like, “Where’s my package?” or “When will my item ship?” while human team members can deal with more nuanced issues like “My package is delayed, and I need it urgently because it has my wedding dress in it.” (A true story from my actual life.)
The AI assists by giving agents key information upfront, allowing them to focus on offering deep empathy and problem-solving skills, and avoids providing a “Sorry, please wait 7-14 days and report it as lost” response which could exacerbate things.
Think of Augmented AI as your co-pilot. It’s there to take some of the load off, but it’s not flying the plane by itself. AI is great at certain things, but it’s not replacing people.
In fact, we still need humans to train the AI, because it doesn’t get smarter on its own. Every time an agent helps improve a chatbot’s response or refines how the AI handles a situation, they’re teaching it to get better.
AI learns by being trained, and humans are the ones doing the training. Your team plays a huge role in making AI more accurate, more responsive, and better at its job.
For instance, if a customer asks a chatbot a question that it doesn’t know how to answer correctly, a human agent can step in, provide the right information, and adjust the AI’s response for next time. That way, AI learns from the interaction and handles similar questions more effectively in the future.
So, while AI frees up time for agents to do more meaningful work, it also needs their help to keep improving. It’s a two-way street—humans help AI work more efficiently, and AI, in turn, makes human agents’ jobs easier.
Now that we know what Augmented AI is, let’s talk about why it’s a game changer for businesses and customer support.
Customers want quick answers, but they also want to feel like they’re being heard. Humans and AI together help with both. AI speeds up simple tasks—like checking order statuses or answering FAQs—while human agents step in when things get more complicated.
For example, a customer might ask, “How do I reset my password?”—an easy, repetitive question that AI can handle. But if the customer has tried resetting their password multiple times and is locked out of their account, a human agent can take over, provide reassurance, and solve the more complex issue of account recovery.
This way, AI handles the routine tasks while humans take care of the more emotional and intricate issues.
When businesses grow, so do customer inquiries. Humans focus on high-level tasks while AI helps handle the increase in customer inquiries.
For instance, during a product launch, AI can handle the flood of questions like “Is the new product available in my region?” or “What’s the price?” while human agents can focus on things like providing product feedback or insights to your engineering team, updating documentation, and triaging critical issues.
So, instead of spending time on repetitive tasks, agents can dig into more complex issues and build stronger relationships with customers. AI helps with the heavy lifting, but humans ensure things stay personal and thoughtful.
That’s how businesses scale without losing what makes them special—good old-fashioned human connection.
In addition to customers getting a better experience as a whole, Augmented AI also has several direct benefits for the businesses using it as well.
AI helps businesses save time and money by automating routine tasks that don’t need a human touch. Reducing repetitive work doesn’t just help with efficiency—it cuts down on costs.
When AI takes care of the easy stuff, businesses don’t have to hire as many agents to keep up with a growing customer base, but customers can still expect the same level of service.
AI doesn’t just answer questions. It also gathers data and insights from every customer interaction, giving businesses a clearer understanding of customer behavior, preferences, and pain points.
For instance, AI might notice that customers frequently ask about delays in shipping. A human agent can use this insight to inform the logistics team, improving delivery times and reducing inquiries.
Humans use this data to improve strategies and make better decisions. Whether it’s spotting trends in customer issues or predicting what customers might need next, AI helps businesses stay ahead of the game. But, at the end of the day, it’s humans who use this data to steer the ship.
Let’s talk about one of the biggest myths: AI taking jobs away. Here’s the reality—AI actually creates opportunities for CX professionals to grow. Instead of being stuck in a loop of repetitive tasks, agents can focus on higher-value work that’s more interesting and fulfilling.
Plus, as agents train AI and work alongside it, they pick up new skills like AI management and data analysis—skills that are becoming more and more important in tech-driven industries.
So, while AI handles the easy stuff, humans are learning, growing, and positioning themselves for the future. It’s not about losing jobs—it’s about evolving roles and creating new opportunities.
For Augmented AI to work, it has to be implemented thoughtfully. It’s not just a plug-and-play solution. Humans need to plan, monitor, and refine how AI is used. You need to understand where AI fits into your customer journey and how it can help your team—not replace them.
The best AI implementations are the ones where AI supports humans, not the other way around.
By carefully planning how humans and AI will work together, businesses can create a smooth and effective customer experience. And the best part? Thanks to human input, it gets better over time as the AI learns and improves.
To plan for how to integrate AI effectively, consider these steps:
Example: Identify when customers typically ask simple questions like "What’s my order status?" versus when they need help with something more complex.
Example: Order status updates, product availability checks, or password resets.
Example: Handling returns outside the standard window or dealing with complaints.
Example: If AI misinterprets a customer’s question, a human agent steps in, corrects the response, and adjusts the AI’s future responses.
Example: Track how quickly AI resolves simple inquiries and how often human agents need to intervene for more complex issues.
Example: When a customer escalates from an AI chatbot to a human, ensure the agent receives the conversation history.
Example: Conduct quarterly reviews of AI performance and human feedback to identify any gaps or opportunities for better integration.
Augmented AI is a game changer, but it’s not here to replace humans—it’s here to help, handle the repetitive stuff, give us better data, and free up human agents to do more meaningful work.
Humans play a huge role in training the AI, helping it get smarter and more effective over time.
As AI becomes a bigger part of customer support, it’s also opening doors for agents to learn new skills and grow in ways we haven’t seen before. It’s not about losing jobs—it’s about gaining new opportunities.
By striking the right balance between human interaction and AI, businesses can provide faster, smarter, and more personal service, all while helping their teams thrive.
Augmented AI isn’t just the future of customer support—it’s an exciting new chapter that’s already here.
