Why AI Won’t Take All Our Job_ (Reason No. 2)

By Ant Morse | Futurist, Author of The Future of Us

Headlines continue to warn that artificial intelligence will “take every job”, and few areas are mentioned more often than call centres. Yet while AI is already transforming the service industry, the reality is far more nuanced and far more promising than the story of wholesale replacement.

AI in call centres isn’t new

AI in customer service isn’t a revolution, it’s an evolution. From sentiment analysis and recommendation engines to predictive routing, businesses have been using intelligent tools for years to improve customer experience.

Despite the hype, we’re not seeing mass redundancies. Most organisations are using AI to support human agents, not replace them. Even where automation has been rolled out, the main benefits are consistency, efficiency and data-driven insights, not job losses. The idea of AI replacing people entirely is largely a myth built on a few early experiments.

Attrition, not automation, drives change

The typical call centre sees staff turnover between 26 and 45 per cent, with some reaching as high as 85 per cent. The shift we’re seeing isn’t about cutting jobs; it’s about reducing backfill.

AI is picking up the repetitive, high-volume tasks that humans don’t need to handle, freeing people to focus on more complex, emotional or strategic conversations where they can truly add value. This isn’t about job cuts, it’s about smarter use of human potential.

Automation evolves, it doesn’t erase

History tells us that automation doesn’t remove work, it changes it. Around 80 per cent of call centre traffic is predictable and repetitive, which makes it ideal for automation. The remaining 20 per cent is nuanced, human and often defines the quality of a brand relationship.

The goal shouldn’t be “AI versus people”; it should be AI and people working together. When technology takes away the repetitive tasks, humans are freed to focus on creativity, empathy and genuine connection.

The rise of cobotics: people and AI

The next stage is what I call cobotics, where customers, human agents and AI collaborate in real time.

Imagine a call handled by three participants: the customer, the agent and AI. The AI becomes a digital colleague, surfacing information, comparing options and offering insights, while the human focuses on reassurance, understanding and problem-solving.

This partnership creates better jobs for agents, faster service for customers and stronger results for organisations. When AI handles the simple queries, humans can deliver the exceptional.

From reactive to proactive service

Most of us try to fix problems ourselves online before calling support. The real opportunity lies in predictive, proactive service, where AI identifies issues before customers reach out.

We’re starting to see this appear in pockets, but the potential is far greater. If done right, it could take customer experience from good to genuinely great.

A balanced future

AI is still at an early stage. Organisations need to balance innovation with governance, security and ethics. But those who approach it with confidence and responsibility will see the biggest rewards.

As I often say:

“Let AI take the jobs we don’t want to do. Let it improve the jobs we have to do. And let humans focus on the jobs we love.”

The human factor remains, and will always remain, the ultimate differentiator.

KEY TAKEAWAYS : AI isn’t here to take work away from us. It’s here to transform it. The organisations that succeed will be those that combine the best of technology with the best of humanity — using AI to elevate people, not replace them.

NEXT STEPS :

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