Cisco has released a new report, predicting that agentic AI will handle 68 percent of contact center conversations by 2028.
It also suggests that agentic AI will help automate as many as 56 percent of interactions by 2026.
Cisco’s report includes a survey of almost 8,000 business and technical decision-makers in 30 countries.
Summarizing its findings, Cisco described agentic AI as “the most transformative technology to impact customer experience in decades.”
Its customer contact automation predictions mirror those of Gartner earlier this year.
Indeed, the research firm stated that by 2029, agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80 percent of routine customer service issues, resulting in a 30 percent drop in operational costs.
In addition to assisting interaction-handling, Cisco’s study also revealed that 93 percent of respondents believe agentic AI will empower B2B tech vendors to deliver more personalized, proactive, and predictive services.
Moreover, 88 percent are confident this AI-driven approach will support their organization in reaching broader objectives.
In the foreword of the report, Liz Centoni, EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Cisco, proclaimed that these findings were proof that CX is “entering a new era with agentic AI as the transformative force leading the way.
“Agentic AI will fundamentally change the very nature of services, enabling customer experience teams to make every interaction personalized, proactive, and predictive across every customer touchpoint.
We can now deliver on our ultimate goal: making every customer feel like they are the only customer!
Centoni also outlined some more specific ways in which agentic AI will help resolve longstanding customer pain points in enterprise environments.
The EVP pointed to network issues caused by misconfigurations, claiming that agentic systems are “poised to eliminate” this problem and deliver smarter networks, enhanced security, and greater team productivity.
While the report did primarily unpack the benefits and positive sentiment surrounding agentic AI, it also addressed some of the challenges that this might present.
More Advanced AI = Higher Customer Expectations
Undoubtedly, the excitement around agentic AI is enhanced due to customer service and experience, as businesses and professionals become more accustomed to deploying and operating AI solutions.
Indeed, of those surveyed, over two-thirds have used at least one AI-powered CX service from a B2B tech partner, with more than half encountering AI-driven solutions at every stage of the technology lifecycle.
Interestingly, of those who have used AI-powered support from B2B tech partners, 80 percent reported positive experiences, while just four percent were disappointed.
While the excitement and optimism surrounding agentic AI can lead to CX improvements and more opportunities for vendors, the trade-off is higher expectations.
Having experienced the magic of LLMs like ChatGPT, customers want all the benefits of agentic AI, and they want them now.
Tech vendors are being pressured to fast-track their AI efforts, with clients expecting their customer service interactions to be AI-driven as soon as possible – a rapid shift that may catch unprepared vendors off guard.
Additionally, the report showed that while customers are expecting superior capabilities and fast rollouts, they also want vendors to be mindful of the human element, with 96 percent of respondents highlighting its importance.
89 percent also stated that they believe the ideal customer experience combines human empathy with the efficiency of agentic AI, and 76 percent agreed that AI alone cannot yet replicate the emotional intelligence humans bring to these interactions.
In discussing the need to strike the correct balance between what customers want and what is feasible, Centoni wrote that “the journey to agentic AI-led customer experience will undoubtedly pose challenges and present risks for vendors.
For those companies that embrace this transformation head-on, the payoff is not just improved customer experience metrics, it’s in market leadership in the AI era.
“It will reshape customer experience into a strategic differentiator, creating loyalty at scale.”
More News from Cisco
Earlier this year at Enterprise Connect 2025, Cisco unveiled a slew of new Webex Contact Center innovations, including the Webex AI Agent.
This agentic AI solution delivers natural, self-service support without prior training, marking a major milestone in Cisco’s AI strategy.
Elsewhere, during HIMSS 2025, Cisco announced a new integration between Webex Contact Center and Epic Cheers, bringing Webex features like routing, queue management, and reporting directly into the Epic platform.
