Agentic AI Will Run 68% of Customer Service by 2028.

In a landmark and somewhat shocking global study released this week, Cisco revealed a very bold prediction: by 2028, 68% of customer service and support interactions will be handled by agentic AI. These autonomous systems are capable of acting, deciding, and learning with little to no human oversight. I hope the headline is attention-grabbing enough, but the significance of this finding is rather unsettling.

The Agentic Future of Customer Service

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about chatbots becoming smarter. This shift will strip entire layers of human interaction from the customer journey and replace them with intelligent, self-acting systems. Cisco calls it the “agentic future.” For brands, leaders, and workers, this represents a major fork in the road. However, not enough people seem to be asking the deeper questions.

The reality is that while agentic AI may resolve inquiries quickly, there is a growing cost that we aren’t adequately addressing:

• Trust

• Jobs

• Identity

• Emotional presence

  
  

If we’re not mindful today, that predicted 68% could symbolize a disconnect between “service” and the people it was designed to serve.

What Fuels the Rise of Agentic AI?

Cisco’s research incorporated insights from approximately 8,000 leaders across 30 countries. The findings reveal the increasing complexity in enterprise environments. Today’s IT stacks have become bloated. Customers demand immediate responses, putting pressure on leaders to reduce costs and scale efficiently.

Enter agentic AI. Unlike traditional automation, this technology has agency. It thinks independently, reasons, retains memory, adapts to new information, and executes decisions without waiting for human approval.

A staggering 93% of survey respondents believe agentic AI will foster more personalized, proactive, and predictive customer experiences. Additionally, 88% of leaders state it will help accelerate strategic goals like digital transformation, cost efficiency, and IT resilience.

In other words, it works—and it works well.

However, there’s a crucial issue: just because it works doesn’t mean it benefits everyone.

Trust, Transparency, and the Human Toll

Cisco’s report briefly mentions the need for ethical implementation and robust governance, with 99% of respondents asserting its importance. Yet, this statistic merely scratches the surface. The success of agentic AI hinges on trust, and that trust is more fragile than ever.

People do not trust what they do not comprehend. Unfortunately, very few customers or employees fully understand agentic AI. When a system makes decisions without human approval, accountability erodes. This eroded trust introduces several problems:

• Who is accountable when something goes wrong?

• Who do I consult when I feel unheard?

• How can I trust a process I cannot see?

  
  

As these systems grow more autonomous, human involvement lessens. Power shifts away from the people these systems are meant to serve. While customers may receive faster resolutions, they are left with colder, more opaque interactions that undermine the human connections brands rely on for loyalty.

The Jobs Factor

Cisco’s report does not significantly address the implications for the workforce, nor does it clarify who will be affected. However, we need this conversation. If 68% of service interactions will indeed become automated, that means they’ll replace human jobs.

If Cisco’s forecast holds true, by 2028, the landscape of help desks, support roles, live chat agents, and service centers will transform drastically or even disappear altogether. This shift represents millions of real jobs worldwide—real people with mortgages, families, and experience in human connection.

The conversations around “upskilling” and “strategic reallocation” often feel like mere placeholders. History indicates that technological disruption travels faster than human adaptation. Without urgent planning from brands and governments, we are not just heading towards a more efficient service sector but towards a looming emotional and economic crisis.

Interestingly, the very customers these brands aim to serve with AI are often the same people who will be displaced by it. This is not a future problem; it’s a today problem.

What Remains for Humans?

If agentic AI is set to handle 68% of interactions, what happens to the remaining 32%? This percentage will represent the difference between a memorable brand and one that customers merely tolerate. It is the battleground for trust, intimacy, and long-term loyalty, the domain where humans still have the upper hand—not due to speed, but because they feel.

Brands need to invest more, not less, in this 32%. These interactions must bear the weight of what has been lost elsewhere. They must become slower, more present, and more human. Ironically, as AI becomes more robust, human connection becomes more precious—not in quantity, but in quality.

Final Thought: Finding Balance in a Digital Age

There is no stopping agentic AI. The time for correct implementation has long passed. Personally, I believe in the potential for significant improvement in our lives and society. The innovation is groundbreaking.

However, we cannot continue to pretend that automation and experience are synonymous. We need to develop systems that not only increase capability but also safeguard connection. We should lead brands that focus on optimizing for trust rather than convenience. And we need to confront ourselves with one crucial question:

“If your customer only interacts with a machine… will they ever truly connect with your brand?”

That’s what’s at stake—not only jobs, speed, or efficiency, but the very essence of service. We must get this part right.

By Nick Gray, Founder — IGU Global

Learn more about agentic AI here