Will AI replace call center agents?
Updated
Customer service representatives score 74 of 100 for AI exposure. AI can already do 64% of their task time. AI speeds up the other 36%.
- 64% AI can do it
- 36% AI helps
Very high exposure
Higher than 100% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 13 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 8 of them today, speeds up 5 and leaves 0 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken. AI transcribes and summarizes interactions into case records automatically. | 85% AI can do it |
| Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers. Structured form filling and address changes suit AI well. | 85% AI can do it |
| Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing. Billing systems calculate charges and process payments with little human input. | 70% AI can do it |
| Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments. Automated emails and texts handle most outreach, complex cases need calls. | 65% AI can do it |
| Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation. Routing rules can send unresolved cases to the right department automatically. | 65% AI can do it |
| Compare disputed merchandise with original requisitions and information from invoices and prepare invoices for returned goods. Split into two direct statements, removing the negated contrast. | 65% AI can do it |
| Solicit sales of new or additional services or products. AI can write and send tailored sales offers to customers. | 60% AI can do it |
| Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills. AI can pull usage and weather data to test complaints quickly. | 60% AI can do it |
| Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance. AI can read policy wording quickly, but coverage calls carry accountability. | 55% AI helps |
| Confer with customers by telephone or in person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints. Voice AI can handle routine calls, but live complaints need people. | 50% AI helps |
Show the other 3 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers' problems. Systems can check fixes, with staff confirming the outcome. | 50% AI helps |
| Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills. Refund and credit rules are codified, but exchanges need physical handling. | 50% AI helps |
| Recommend improvements in products, packaging, shipping, service, or billing methods and procedures to prevent future problems. AI spots complaint patterns and drafts fixes, leaders still decide. | 45% AI helps |
How customer service representatives compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $44,770 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 2.6 million in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -5.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Read insurance policy wording to decide claim coverage
- Take live complaint calls and record what customers need
- Process merchandise exchanges and returns in person
- Issue refunds and bill adjustments in Intuit QuickBooks
- Confirm each fix resolved the customer's problem
- Turn complaint patterns into billing and procedure changes
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about customer service representatives and AI
Will customer service be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 6 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping records of customer interactions and completing contract and address forms. Live complaint calls, merchandise exchanges, and coverage decisions still need a person.
Will AI take over call center jobs?
AI can already do 64% of the task time in call center and speeds up another 36%. The US has 2.6 million customer service representative jobs, with a projected change of -5.3% from 2024 to 2034.
Which customer service tasks is AI taking over?
Case records, contract forms, and address changes go first, each with an exposure score of 85. AI transcribes and summarizes each interaction into a case record automatically, and fixed form fields suit AI well. Billing charges and payments score 70, since billing systems calculate charges with little human input.
Which customer service tasks stay with people?
No task is fully human-only, but three keep a person in the final call. Coverage decisions under insurance policy terms carry accountability, exchanges need physical handling of merchandise, and live complaint calls need someone who can hear the problem and act on it.
How can customer service representatives stay valuable?
Move toward coverage calls, exchanges, and billing fixes, where accountability stays with a person. Learn to read insurance policy wording well enough to decide claims, handle returns in person, and confirm each fix resolved the complaint. Audit refunds and bill adjustments in Intuit QuickBooks, then propose procedure changes based on complaint patterns.
Related jobs
Next steps for customer service representatives
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first.
Related topics
- Jobs AI can't replaceCement masons score lowest, at 8.
- Jobs most at risk from AIProofreaders score highest, at 76.
- High-paying jobs with low AI exposureRadiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.
- Entry-level jobs with low AI exposureCement masons need little prior training and score 8.
- Jobs AI speeds up the mostFor natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.
- AI and jobs in Malta15 iGaming roles graded task by task.
- Skills that keep work humanThe skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.
- Jobs A to ZEvery job we publish, by first letter.
- AI exposure by industryAverage scores for 22 occupation groups.
- Write a CV screening software can readHow applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.
- AI for businessesThe tasks to automate first in each team and industry.
- How we score AI exposureThe grading, the weights and every source.