As customer experience leaders move deeper into AI from pilots to commercial-scale implementations, the pressure is shifting from experimentation to evidence. It is no longer enough to run a promising proof of concept. Businesses now need to show how AI improves operational performance, reduces cost, strengthens customer journeys or helps teams manage risk.
In this CX Today interview, Nicole Willing speaks with Anshuman Singh, Chief Executive Officer at HGS Europe, about why so many AI pilots struggle to turn early promise into meaningful business value.
For Singh, the issue is that in many cases, businesses have not defined the right measures of success before they begin.
“It’s less about, you know, that AI failed. It was more about that we couldn’t prove that AI succeeded.”
That point is becoming increasingly important as organizations move from the excitement of generative AI into the practical work of enterprise adoption. Singh notes that large language models made it easier than ever for businesses to launch pilots, particularly around assistive AI. However, easy experimentation can create a false sense of progress if leaders have not agreed what the initiative is supposed to achieve.
In CX, that might mean improving first contact resolution, lowering cost per resolution, increasing customer retention, or supporting risk mitigation in regulated environments. Without a clear target, even a technically impressive pilot can lose momentum.
Singh also explains that scaling AI depends on the less glamorous foundations around it. A bot may be able to answer product questions, but to complete a customer journey, it may need to integrate with order management systems, follow refund policies, apply governance controls, and remain observable over time. Those challenges are not always AI challenges, but they often decide whether AI succeeds.
Looking ahead, Singh believes AI will reshape CX roles rather than simply remove the need for human input. As models handle more basic analysis and information gathering, employees may spend more time on complex problem-solving, customer nuance, trend spotting, experience improvement, and even training AI agents.
Watch the full video to hear Singh explain how CX organizations can move AI beyond the pilot stage and build a stronger foundation for long-term value.
