AI is no longer just an experiment in the contact center. Increasingly, it’s taking on a substantial share of call volume—30%, 40%, even 50% in some cases. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2029, “agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer service issues without human intervention.” The technology has proven itself at scale, and for many enterprises, it’s becoming a standard tool, not a futuristic idea. But the most pressing question for many leaders isn't whether the tech works. It's: What happens to your people?
When AI handles half your calls, you’re not looking at a mass layoff scenario, you’re looking at a strategic shift. A shift where human agents step into more complex, more meaningful, and more rewarding roles that can’t be easily automated. In this article, we’ll explore what that shift really looks like, why it matters, and how forward-thinking contact centers are preparing for it. Across dozens of conversational AI deployments, we’ve seen that the smartest leaders aren’t just looking to use conversational AI to cut costs, they’re using this moment to completely redesign how customer service gets done.
What portion of your calls should AI handle?
Not all calls are created equal. That’s exactly why AI can handle such a large portion of them effectively. Most contact centers still spend a disproportionate amount of human time on routine requests like:
- Order status
- Appointment scheduling
- Address or account changes
- Delivery confirmations
- Simple billing questions
These are high-volume, low-complexity, low-emotion calls. They're predictable, structured, and don’t require deep emotional nuance. In many cases, they follow strict workflows that can be easily understood by natural language processing systems.
In fact, customers often prefer automation for these tasks, especially when the alternative is waiting on hold. They want quick resolutions and don’t need or expect a human touch for every request. AI makes this possible, and when it’s deployed correctly CSAT actually improves.
As AI becomes more conversational, multilingual, and capable of handling edge cases, the percentage of automatable calls continues to grow. Today’s AI doesn’t just follow scripts—it understands intent, manages context across turns, and can escalate gracefully when needed. We chose 50% as a goal post because it’s a realistic milestone between the portion of calls using AI today, and the 80% that Gartner predicts by 2029. That said, it could be more or less depending on your contact center.
What happens to human agents
So what happens when half your inbound calls never touch a human? The short answer: your agents evolve.
Human roles don’t disappear. They become more strategic, specialized, and essential to customer relationships. The types of calls that remain are:
- Escalations requiring judgment and empathy
- Complex, multi-step problem-solving
- Sensitive interactions involving frustration or high stakes
- Retention and loyalty calls
- Upselling and expansions
These scenarios often involve messy systems, exceptions to policy, or emotional nuance that AI isn’t yet equipped to handle end-to-end. They require human creativity, emotional intelligence, and decision-making.
Agents will spend more time with fewer calls, but those calls will be more important. The average handle time (AHT) may go up, but so will the impact of each call.
This shift means agents need new skills:
- Empathy and active listening
- Conflict de-escalation
- Analytical reasoning
- Improvisation when workflows fail
- Navigating cross-channel context
Training programs need to evolve. Instead of focusing purely on speed and compliance, they must emphasize depth, critical thinking, and the ability to manage ambiguity. Supervisors and QA teams should also be trained to coach for these new skill sets.
Metrics should change too. Instead of measuring success based on average handle time or adherence to script, the focus should shift to:
- First-call resolution for complex issues
- Customer sentiment and satisfaction
- Net impact on retention or spend
- Agent contributions to customer lifetime value
In short: the human agent becomes more human—handling moments that matter with the care and creativity AI can’t yet deliver.
Impact on workforce planning and team structure
The rise of AI doesn’t just change who handles calls, it changes how you staff, forecast, and design your entire service team.
With 50% of your call volume handled by AI, traditional staffing models based on volume, queues, and AHT need to be rethought. Forecasting now has to account for:
- Volume fluctuations in both AI and human queues
- Escalation rates
- AI learning curves and containment rates
- More complex call types that require longer handle times
You’ll likely find your team structure shifting from a tiered model (Tier 1, Tier 2, etc.) to more specialized pods focused on specific customer needs, product areas, or skills. These may include:
- Technical resolution pods
- High-empathy or retention pods
- VIP or high-value customer service pods
You may need fewer frontline generalists, but more roles in adjacent areas, including:
- AI agent expansions and conversation refinement
- Data analysis to uncover business insights and refine automation strategies
- Supervisors equipped to coach hybrid teams
And importantly, this doesn’t have to mean abrupt layoffs. In fact, many contact centers already experience up to 60% annual attrition. By allowing natural attrition to run its course and not backfilling those roles, leaders can shift to a smaller, more specialized team without the disruption of large-scale reductions.
This opens up opportunities to retain and promote top talent—elevating seasoned agents into hybrid roles that blend frontline service, training, and leadership.
Organizational benefits
The benefits of reaching 50% AI adoption go far beyond efficiency. In fact, many are human-centric and tied directly to employee engagement and customer experience.
- Agents benefit from reduced monotony, less burnout, and more purpose-driven work. Instead of racing through 80 repetitive calls a day, they solve real problems and engage in meaningful conversations.
- Customers benefit from faster resolutions for basic issues and more thoughtful, empathetic support when they need a human.
- Leaders benefit from cost efficiency, scalability, and the ability to flex capacity without hiring sprees.
In short: AI + human is not a compromise. It’s a superior service model.
Take the example of a major U.S. retailer using Replicant. After implementing AI voice agents, they were able to automate nearly 60% of calls without sacrificing NPS or CSAT. In fact, agent satisfaction improved—because they were no longer bogged down by password resets and return policy recitations.
These are the kinds of gains that transform not just your contact center but your brand’s reputation for service.
Common missteps to avoid
Of course, not every AI rollout delivers these benefits. Some fail, and often for avoidable reasons. Here are some of the most common pitfalls:
- Seeing AI as a cost-cutting hammer. Leaders who rush into layoffs without redesigning the work often create more problems than they solve.
- Leaving WFM out of AI planning. Workforce teams must be involved from the beginning to ensure proper forecasting and staffing.
- Not investing in change management. Employees need to understand the why, the how, and the opportunity behind the shift.
- Over-automating too fast. It’s critical to balance ambition with CX risk. AI resolution rates improve over time. Start with defined use cases and expand.
Avoid these traps, and you’re far more likely to succeed.
Redesign, don’t reduce
The contact center of the future will be smaller, but also smarter, more empathetic, and more aligned with your brand promise. When AI handles 50% of your calls, that doesn’t mean that human agents are going away—they’re being upgraded.
The leaders who win will be those who understand that this is a moment of transformation not just optimization.
At Replicant, we partner with leading brands to not only automate conversations but also help rethink service models, workforce design, and hybrid team strategy. If you’re looking for a partner who understands the full picture, we’d love to talk.
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