AI ROI in Contact Center Summit highlights shift toward agentic systems

At the theCUBE Research AI ROI in Contact Center Summit, industry leaders discussed the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in customer experience (CX). A major theme was the shift away from traditional metrics and vocabulary toward more sophisticated frameworks.

Vinod Muthukrishnan, Vice President and General Manager of Webex Customer Experience at Cisco, emphasized the distinction between simple AI agents and ‘agentic’ systems. He described agentic AI not merely as a tool for transactions, but as a comprehensive framework of tools, products, and processes. Muthukrishnan noted that while building AI agents has become easier, making them enterprise-grade remains a significant challenge.

Similarly, Pedro Andrade, Vice President of AI at Talkdesk, highlighted the move toward customer experience automation (CXA), positioning it as a broader strategic approach rather than a single product category. The industry is reportedly transitioning from orchestrating individual conversations to orchestrating entire customer journeys and building long-term relationships.