AI Assistants: Who’s really running the show?

Let’s set the record straight: AI isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about making them more powerful.

At Deepdesk, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. What started as basic AI-powered assistants has now evolved into Generative AI (GenAI), a term often wrapped in hype. The reality? AI in CX is moving from rigid automation to real, dynamic assistance. According to Gartner, by 2025, 80% of customer service and support organizations will use GenAI to boost agent productivity and enhance customer experience. Businesses that fail to adapt? They’ll be left scrambling to keep up. So, how do businesses harness AI’s potential without losing the human touch? Let’s break it down.

From Chatbots to AI Assistants: A Smarter Evolution

For years, businesses struggled with outdated chatbots that frustrated customers more than they helped. Rigid scripts, clunky decision trees, endless loops, customers hated them. Today’s AI is different. It’s no longer about automating replies; it’s about empowering agents in real-time:

• Conversation categorization – Instantly sorting customer queries.

• Sentiment detection – Flagging frustrated customers before escalation.

• Live agent assistance – Surfacing the right information at the right time.

Johannes Wolters, Senior Product Owner at Deepdesk, explains the shift: “Customers start with simple use cases like summaries, then they start thinking, what else can we do? Maybe we can generate a summary at the start of a conversation. Maybe we can create live summaries in between. That’s when they see AI as a tool, not just a gimmick.” 

Think of AI as an infinite team of interns, capable, fast, but needing the right guidance. When implemented correctly, AI handles repetitive work, so humans can focus on what really matters creating great customer experiences.

The AI evolution: real business impact

Customers don’t care about trendy AI features, they want solutions that drive efficiency, accuracy, and real ROI. At Rabobank, Deepdesk AI automated 27.6% of digital interactions, cutting handling time by 34 seconds per conversation and saving €850,000 in operational costs in just one year. For voice support, AI saves Rabobank agents 833 hours per week through automated summaries, so they spend less time on post-call documentation and more time engaging with customers. AI isn’t just about efficiency, it’s unlocking new opportunities. Rabobank used AI-assisted calls to increase sales conversions by 15%, driving over €20M in additional revenue in 2024. 

Johannes explains why this shift is so important:
“At first, businesses start with AI for simple automation, but as they see results, they start thinking, why stop here? AI is more than a productivity tool, it’s a game-changer in how businesses interact with their customers.”

The next step: AI that works with you, not against you

As we stated at the beginning of this piece, AI isn’t just about replacing old systems, it’s about redefining workflows and eliminating inefficiencies. But here’s the reality check: AI isn’t plug-and-play. Companies that expect it to work without a strategy won’t see the benefits.

To make AI actually work for your team:

• Start with quick wins: Automate summaries, FAQs, and routing, tasks that drain agent time.

• Use AI where it makes sense: Don’t force AI into everything, apply it where it delivers real value.

• Keep a human in the loop: AI should assist, not dictate.Human oversight keeps quality high.

Johannes breaks it down perfectly: “The companies that win with AI are the ones that don’t just implement it, they integrate it into their workflows, making AI work for them, not the other way around.”

What’s next? AI that feels less like AI

The future of CX isn’t about automation for automation’s sake, it’s about creating experiences customers love and agents appreciate.

What’s coming?

• Voice-first AI assistants: Natural, real-time conversations that don’t sound robotic.

• Intelligent workflows: AI anticipating customer needs before they even ask.

• Seamless CRM & business tool integration: AI powering every interaction without friction.

Deepdesk Assistants make this a reality, managing and optimizing AI-powered solutions that slot seamlessly into CX platforms. They’re like that friend who always knows the best shortcut, helping agents work smarter, automating tedious tasks, and even predicting what customers need before they ask.

Make AI work for you, not the other way around.

Johannes sums it up best:
“I’m curious to see how AI will sit into people’s lives… I’m hoping that people experience how AI can help them, how they can apply that, get a little bit of an understanding of how the technology works, and come up with new ideas.”

The AI transformation is already happening. Will you lead it or get left behind?