AI to handle 68% of tech vendor customer support by 2028 Cisco predicts

Illustration of AI building blocks

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A new report from Cisco reveals that 68% of customer support interactions with tech vendors will be handled by AI agents by 2028. The study, titled "The Race to an Agentic Future: How Agentic AI Will Transform Customer Experience," surveyed nearly 8,000 business leaders across 30 countries, highlighting the rapid adoption of AI in customer service.

Key Findings:

93% of respondents believe AI will make customer interactions more personalized and efficient.
89% still emphasize the importance of human involvement in customer service.
96% value human-to-human relationships in this context.

The Rise of AI Agents

The success of ChatGPT in 2022 sparked a surge in generative AI investments. Recently, the focus has shifted to AI agents, which combine conversational abilities with tool interaction capabilities. Major tech companies are leading this charge:

Google released Jules, an AI agent for coding, in public beta.
Microsoft showcased new AI agent features at its Build 2025 conference.

A separate survey by Ernst & Young (EY) found that nearly half of tech leaders are already using AI agents for internal operations.

Urgency for Tech Vendors

The report warns that vendors lagging in AI adoption risk:

Reputational damage
Customer churn
Lost competitive edge

Conversely, 81% of respondents believe early adopters will gain a significant advantage.

Data Security Concerns

Despite the enthusiasm, 99% of leaders stress the need for robust governance strategies to address data security risks as AI agents become more prevalent.

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