Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the call center industry—but is it truly driving transformation, or is it just another buzzword? As with most advancements, the reality is more nuanced.

In this episode of The Next Gen Call Center, we talk with Ram Sundaram, Director of AI Development at Genesys. Leading a team that develops AI solutions for enterprises handling millions of customer interactions, Ram has over a decade of hands-on experience in the world of conversational AI. His journey spans from the early days of Hidden Markov Models and deep learning NLP to today’s cutting-edge LLMs and SLMs. With previous roles at Broadcom and Microsoft’s Core Speech Team, Ram offers a unique insider's perspective on how AI has evolved and what it means for the future of customer service.

Here are some key takeaways:

The Evolution of AI in Call Centers: Significant advancements in AI have taken place, from early rule-based systems to today's sophisticated language models. Staying updated on the latest developments is crucial to fully leverage AI's potential in call centers.

The Importance of Practical AI: AI solutions must deliver real-world value, not just remain theoretical concepts. Engineering and building scalable, practical solutions that can be deployed in real environments is essential.

The Future of AI in Call Centers: AI will increasingly automate routine tasks, enhance agent efficiency, and provide supervisors with better insights. There is also potential for AI to personalize customer experiences and optimize customer-agent matching.

Challenges in Developing AI Solutions: High-quality data, skilled engineers, and a clear understanding of business problems are key to successful AI development. Continuous innovation and iteration are necessary to keep AI solutions relevant.

Ethical Implications of AI: Ethical considerations such as privacy, job displacement, and potential bias must be addressed. Responsible development of AI solutions that prioritize ethical standards is essential.