CX Today

For years, the CX industry has obsessed over deploying AI to serve customers better. But a seismic shift is already underway and most contact centers aren't prepared for it.
Customer-initiated AI agents are now making calls, placing orders, and navigating your IVR on behalf of humans. Tools like OpenAI's Operator, Google Call Assist, and Kickoff's debt negotiation service aren't coming, they're here. A large US bank recently received its first live call from a personal AI agent attempting to negotiate debt settlement. The human agent had no policy, no playbook, no idea what to do. They didn't hang up. They authenticated the AI. They negotiated. The deal closed.
This is what Wayne Kay, Regional VP of Sales Leadership EMEA at TTEC Digital, calls "the gasp moment" - the instant CX leaders realize the script has flipped. AI isn't just the tool anymore. It's becoming the customer.
In this exclusive video interview, Wayne reveals what's catching organizations off guard, why authentication methods designed for humans are failing, and what contact centers must do now to prepare for a future where the majority of inbound interactions may not be human at all.
You'll discover:
Why a major US bank's first AI customer call sent shockwaves through the industry
The three blind spots CX leaders can't afford to ignore in 2026
How to build AI customer readiness into your authentication, knowledge systems, and workflows
What "trust between machines" actually means - and why your security team needs to be at the table
TTEC Digital's approach to sandboxing AI customer scenarios before they become chaos
This isn't science fiction. It's happening on contact center floors right now. And if you're not thinking about it yet, you're already behind.
Watch the full interview to understand the inversion - and what to do about it before your next call arrives.

In this episode of CX Today, host Christopher Carey sits down with Gaurav Anand, Global Head of Customer Interaction Suite at Tata Communications, to explore how modern enterprises are transforming customer experience in a hyper-connected, AI-driven world. With over 26 years at Tata Communications, Gaurav brings deep insight into the evolution of customer interaction—from on-prem to cloud, from human-only workflows to human-AI collaboration. This conversation is packed with real-world perspective on how global enterprises are redesigning engagement, improving agent productivity, and building the next generation of intelligent CX platforms.
Key insights include:
How AI—voice, conversational, generative, and agentic—is reshaping customer and agent journeys.
Why enterprise CX requires unified platforms, connected data, and omnichannel orchestration.
The cultural principles behind Tata Communications’ “whatever it takes” approach to customer obsession.
The shift from traditional connectivity to a global digital ecosystem that spans cloud, IoT, security, media, and customer interaction fabrics.
To explore how your organization can overcome the customer journey black hole and create seamless, unified experiences, contact Tata Communications to learn more about their integrated CX platform capabilities.

Rhys Fisher, Associate Editor at CX Today, sits down with Scott Doherty, WFM Consultant at Sabio, to unpack how workforce management has evolved from a back-office numbers game into a strategic lever for customer experience, agent wellbeing, and business performance.
With omni-channel complexity, hybrid work, and AI now reshaping contact centres, this conversation explores what planners are really dealing with – and why the old spreadsheet model simply can’t cope anymore.
Main Description
Workforce planning is no longer about ‘hitting service levels at all costs.’ In this wide-ranging discussion, Doherty explains why modern WFM must balance technology, transparency, and human empathy – or risk burning out agents and budgets alike.
Key takeaways include:
Why omni-channel demand, social media volatility, and hybrid work have broken traditional spreadsheet-based planning
Lessons from Sabio’s WFM community days, including intraday volatility, legacy tech pain, and chat concurrency challenges
How AI should act as a co-pilot for planners – augmenting decisions, not replacing human judgment
Why agent-centric planning (micro-shifts, schedule nudges, self-service) delivers better CX and long-term ROI
Doherty also shares practical examples of how AI-driven insights, explainable forecasting, and real-time optimization can elevate planners from queue-fighters to strategic storytellers.
Next steps:
Review whether your WFM tools support explainability and planner override
Involve operations teams earlier in technology decisions
Pilot agent-friendly initiatives like micro-shifts or real-time schedule nudges
Reframe WFM KPIs to balance efficiency, empathy, and experience

Steve Blood, VP of Market Intelligence at Five9, exposes the hidden dangers lurking within legacy contact center systems. While many CX leaders view modernization as daunting, Blood argues that standing still is actually the most expensive decision you can make.
Blood reveals how on-premises platforms are quietly draining value through lost customer insights, agent frustration, and missed personalization opportunities—what he calls the "hidden cost of the unknown." More critically, he unpacks why the upcoming EU AI Act in 2026 will force organizations to rethink their entire technology strategy or face massive fines.
Blood doesn't just outline the problems; he offers a pragmatic roadmap for moving from legacy to AI-first without the "big bang" risks. From building a credible business case that unites IT and CX leaders to empowering agents as AI supervisors, this conversation is packed with actionable advice.
If you're debating whether to modernize now or wait, this interview explains why the window for waiting is closing fast—and how to make your move with confidence.
Watch now to discover why the future of CX belongs to the bold, not the comfortable.

Modern contact centres have become fragile ecosystems—cloud platforms, Voice AI, IVRs, CRMs, and third-party APIs all owned by different teams and vendors. When something breaks, customers feel it immediately, but no one has a single end-to-end view of what's actually happening. The result? Blind spots, finger-pointing, and resolution times that damage both revenue and reputation.
In this conversation, CX Evangelist Luke Jamieson from Operata breaks down how CX Observability transforms the daily reality for operations teams—moving them from reactive firefighting to proactive control.
You'll discover why traditional monitoring tools can't answer the questions executives are now asking, how observability slashes mean time to resolution by eliminating the "ping pong effect" of service desk tickets, and why Voice AI adoption makes this capability non-negotiable. Jamieson calls out, 
"If you can't see what's connecting all of those different silos together, then you are at massive risk. You put that customer experience at a huge risk and no organization can afford that right now"

Whether you're managing increasingly complex CX stacks or exploring how to protect customer experience as AI scales, this is your practical guide to regaining visibility and control.
Watch now to learn how CX Observability gives your teams the clarity they need to stop guessing and start preventing problems before customers ever feel them.