Ten AI Customer Service Statistics for 2026 That Will Shape Your CX Strategy

This article answers the question: Are customers becoming more comfortable with AI in customer service?

Answer: AI adoption in customer service is growing in 2026, but most customers still prefer human support, and trust, accuracy and ease will determine if AI strengthens or weakens your CX strategy.

AI is not a strategy. Experience is. AI can support your customer service strategy, but it won’t replace it. And that is why you need to read and understand the impact of the findings regarding AI in the 2026 State of Customer Service and CX research report. This year, I included more questions about AI, and this is the information you must consider as you implement AI into your CX strategy.  

1. 49% of U.S. customers are more comfortable using AI for customer support this year than last year. This is a minor increase of just 2% over last year. I predict this number will continue to increase as AI technology improves and companies make it easier for customers to use. 

2. 50% have successfully resolved a customer service issue without the help of a human. This number needs to increase before AI becomes mainstream. And age makes a difference: 54% of Gen-Z have had success, compared with just 34% of Baby Boomers.  

3. 53% have noticed an improvement in AI customer service technologies over the past year. As customers become more comfortable and confident, as already mentioned, this number will increase next year. 

4. 54% believe chatbots have significantly improved the speed and efficiency of customer service. Try it, you’ll like it. Customers who believe chatbots improve the experience will keep using them.  

5. 32% of customers stopped doing business with a company because self-service options were not provided. Our research also finds that seven out of 10 customers prefer using the phone when they need support, but a third of customers still want the choice. By the way, it’s the younger generations that drive this statistic. 

6. 57% say companies that offer AI-fueled types of self-service options frustrate them. Unfortunately, some companies have self-service that is not as intuitive or easy to use as it should be. Adding to the frustration is the inability to easily connect to a live agent. 

7. 45% say AI and ChatGPT scare them. These customers have a scary vision of AI taking over the world. But AI horror movies like I, Robot, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix are just movies, meant to be scary.  

8. 59% feel when it comes to customer support, they dislike self-service options and only want to speak with a human. AI isn’t perfect, and if a customer has two or three bad self-service experiences, it makes sense they don’t want to risk it.  

9. 53% say they have received incorrect information from an AI self-service bot. AI is known to make mistakes, but we also receive incorrect information from live agents. Nobody and no technology is perfect. 

10. 68% of customers prefer to speak with a live agent rather than use a digital self-service solution. We end with this one to emphasize that no matter how quickly AI customer experience is improving, when customers have a problem or issue with a company, seven out of 10 prefer the phone.  

As you look at these findings, the message is clear. The data show that AI is improving, but adoption remains slow despite the hype. AI is becoming an expected option for speed and convenience, yet trust, ease of use, and immediate access to a human remain the deciding factors in whether customers use it or avoid it.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.