AI skills gap threatens customer service innovation, Sprinkler-IDC report finds

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform Sprinklr and the International Data Corporation (IDC) recently released a detailed report projecting that artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize customer experience management, despite significant implementation challenges
The report, titled AI Everywhere Drives Intelligent Experiences for the Contact Center and Marketing Functions, surveyed 500 enterprise customer service and 500 enterprise marketing leaders and focused on the 2025 artificial intelligence (AI) priorities for contact centers.
Contact centers: Key AI-driven transformations
The research revealed significant insights into how contact centers plan to leverage AI to enhance customer experiences. A primary focus is on automating and modernizing service delivery, with an emphasis on integrating AI technologies to streamline operations and improve customer satisfaction.
Autonomous service
A notable 73% of contact center executives believe that implementing autonomous 24/7 customer service will be the most impactful outcome of AI-driven analytics by 2025. This shift towards automation aims to provide continuous support, reduce wait times, and improve service availability.
Contextual engagement
Another key finding is that 67% of executives see contextualized customer engagement during service interactions as a crucial benefit of generative AI. By leveraging AI to understand customer context better, contact centers can offer more personalized and relevant support, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Skills shortage emerges as primary AI adoption barrier
Despite these advancements, the shortage of skilled employees poses a significant challenge. About 42% of respondents identified this as a critical barrier to fully leveraging AI in their operations. Addressing this gap is essential for contact centers to maximize the potential of AI technologies.
Strategic imperatives for contact centers
Sprinklr CTO Amitabh Misra emphasized the strategic role of AI in transforming customer service platforms.
He stated, “AI-native customer service platforms, such as Sprinklr’s CCaaS, will have a significant edge over other solutions in these times.”
This highlights the need for contact centers to adopt AI strategically to enhance service delivery and customer satisfaction.
The report also provided actionable recommendations for contact centers aiming to adopt AI effectively. These include:
- Enhancing data infrastructure: Building robust data systems to support AI applications is crucial for delivering accurate and efficient services.
- Developing unified customer insights: Integrating data across functions can help create a comprehensive understanding of customer needs and preferences.
- Establishing strong AI governance: Implementing governance frameworks ensures the ethical use of AI and maintains customer trust.
As contact centers navigate these challenges, the report underscores that embracing AI is not just about operational efficiency but also about driving meaningful improvements in customer interactions and business outcomes.