CX Today

Sumant Mauskar explains how AI-powered voice fraud is attacking contact centers at scale, why the NICE integration matters, and what bi-directional trust really means
Contact centers have an AI problem, and asking agents if calls "sound weird" isn't going to fix it.
According to Sumant Mauskar, Global Partners SVP at Pindrop, humans can detect video deepfakes around 60% of the time. For audio? That drops to 35%. As synthetic voice quality improves daily, traditional fraud detection methods are failing at exactly the moment fraudsters are scaling up attacks.
"You need good AI to fight bad AI," Mauskar says.
He points to a retail client that discovered AI bots requesting $21 returns across thousands of calls. Each amount sat below agent authorization thresholds, so the money went out without question. Death by a thousand cuts.
Pindrop's recent native integration with NICE CX One addresses this by analyzing calls in real time without adding customer friction. The system processes voice alongside metadata, providing agents with simple red, yellow, or green risk indicators based on multifactor analysis.
"We get a copy of the call, process it, and pass information back to NICE," Mauskar explains. "The customer experience doesn't change at all."
But the bigger challenge is coming. As legitimate AI agents start calling contact centers on behalf of customers, CX leaders will need to distinguish between good synthetic voices and bad ones. Mauskar calls this bi-directional trust, and believes the window to prepare is closing fast.
For contact centers still relying on knowledge-based authentication and human intuition, the data tells a different story. The fraudsters are already inside.

In this interview with Paul Vezelis, Co-Founder and CEO of Traxlo, we explore how the platform’s pay-per-task model is reshaping retail operations, diving into operational innovation, workforce flexibility, and customer experience in modern retail. 
Traxlo connects thousands of gig workers with retailers to complete specific operational tasks like shelf replenishment, inventory checks, and online order picking, ensuring consistent execution that supports both customer and employee experiences.
Paul explains how the model works in practice, the advantages it offers over traditional staffing, and the results seen by retailers and shoppers. 
The discussion also covers Traxlo’s plans to integrate AI through its tasku.ai engine, using large language models and computer vision to automate task creation, verify completion, and expand the types of tasks that can be managed efficiently, sharing his perspective on why 2026 could be a turning point for retail and warehouse labor as AI and robotics reshape the industry.

In this interview, he explains why service is slipping despite heavy investment, where AI helps (and where it doesn’t), and the practical steps leaders can take to rebuild CSX from the frontline up.

Alex Mead delivers a timely reality check: despite all the investment in journey mapping, NPS and “CX programmes,” the day-to-day service experience is getting worse. In this interview, he argues that “customer experience” has become a catch‑all that too often blurs brand and marketing with the operational discipline that really shapes loyalty: customer service experience (CSX).

Mead also challenges the “silver bullet” mindset around AI. GenAI can absolutely raise the bar, he says, but only when organisations have a clear CSX vision, strong foundations (data, knowledge and processes), and leaders who genuinely walk in the shoes of customers and employees. He makes the case for empowering frontline teams, modernising contact centre knowledge in real time, and bringing back practical, accountable service leadership to cut through what he calls the “tide of CX nonsense.”

If you want a grounded view on what’s broken in CX (and what to fix first) this is one to watch.

When headlines scream "data leak" but companies claim "no breach," customers are left confused—and trust takes a hit. In this CX Today interview, Ron Zayas, CEO of Ironwall by Incogni, explains why a recent Instagram incident is a wake-up call for CX leaders, arguing that technical security definitions often miss the reality of "cumulative risk."
Zayas delivers a stark warning: risk is no longer just about stolen passwords. He explains how aggregated identity data—even without a confirmed system breach—allows bad actors to build detailed profiles for phishing and impersonation. He compares holding customer data to a bank holding money: if a bank is careless with security, customers will withdraw their assets regardless of whether their specific dollar was stolen.
The conversation also covers the critical role of crisis communication. Zayas advises leaders to resist the urge to downplay incidents or hide behind legal technicalities. Instead, he advocates for treating data like currency, minimizing third-party sharing, and offering customers concrete, practical advice when their data is exposed.
If you want to understand why privacy is the new loyalty driver—and how to communicate effectively when the worst happens—tune in to this conversation.

In this CX Today interview, Associate Editor, Rhys Fisher, speaks with Sundeep Boughan, Director of Sales Engineering at Puzzel, to unpack findings from the company's latest State of the Contact Centre report.
With 1,500+ contact center professionals surveyed, they cut through the AI hype to explore what “AI readiness” truly means, how conversational intelligence is driving real ROI, and why copilots and agentic AI are reshaping the future of the agent experience.
If you’re navigating AI investments in your contact center, this is a must-watch.
Main Description:
AI isn’t a silver bullet anymore – it’s about outcomes. Sundeep shares practical lessons from the field and what separates pilots from real impact.
You’ll learn:
Why 85% feel “ready” for AI but only 34% are truly prepared (hint: it’s data + customer readiness)
How conversation analytics reveals hidden intent and silent pain points
Why copilots are delivering fast wins with summaries, knowledge surfacing & onboarding
What agentic AI means for automation, outcomes, and the future role of agents
Next steps:
Download the report, audit your data quality, map quick-win use cases, and pilot copilots where agent fatigue is highest.