At the start of 2025, I predicted that customer experience would be defined by the balance between human empathy and the accelerating power of AI, particularly agentic AI. Now, with most of the year behind us, it’s clear that this balance remains the central theme. However, the path has been more complex, uneven, and instructive than many expected. True transformation is certainly emerging only where technology is paired with human judgment and thoughtful change management. Let’s look at how the two key trends from earlier this year have played out so far.
Agentic AI: Gaining Traction, but Still in Early-Mover Territory
In January, Agentic AI was on the verge of becoming one of the most disruptive forces in CX. That prediction has largely held true, with both encouraging progress and important reality checks. According to Gartner, by the end of 2026, 40% of enterprise applications will embed task-specific AI agents, up from less than 5% in 2025. They also reaffirmed their longer-term forecast that 33% of enterprise software will include agentic capabilities by 2028. AI will autonomously make about 15% of daily business decisions.
This growth is real, but it comes with a strong caveat: many organizations are still far from scale. McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report found that 88% of organizations now use AI in at least one function. Yet only 23% have managed to fully scale agentic systems. Gartner further predicts that over 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by 2027. This is often due to unclear ROI, data readiness issues, or complexity in legacy environments. In other words, the opportunity is massive, but only for companies that pair ambition with operational discipline.
What’s working?
Early adopters are achieving meaningful value by automating multi-step, rules-based workflows. This includes classifying customer tickets, coordinating follow-ups, and even orchestrating cross-department tasks. These aren’t “AI fantasies”; these are practical use cases already being piloted in global companies.
The message so far in 2025? Agentic AI is powerful, but it’s no longer enough to just experiment. Scalable success demands clear use cases, strong data foundations, and tight alignment between human and machine workflows.
Human Powered Customer Experiences: More Crucial Than Ever
While AI has taken center stage this year, it has also highlighted the importance of genuine human empathy in customer interactions. The 2025 Zendesk CX Trends Report revealed that 73% of service agents feel AI copilots improve their jobs. This is largely because automation frees them from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on complex, emotionally nuanced conversations. Across industries, the most successful customer experiences this year have been grounded in:
- Human connection during high-stakes moments
- AI-driven efficiency for routine, low-touch interactions
- Hybrid workflows that treat AI as support, not replacement
This balanced approach is paying off. CX “trendsetter companies”, those using AI plus intentional human engagement, report significantly stronger ROI on their AI investments.
Real corporate signals
Earlier this year, I highlighted Bank of America’s bold decision to expand its physical footprint with 165 new branches, despite the dominance of digital banking. That strategy is moving forward, with 40 branches set to open by the end of 2025. If this expansion drives higher foot traffic and improves customer satisfaction in complex interactions such as mortgages and wealth management, it will reinforce a critical insight: the more digital customers become, the more essential human empathy becomes at pivotal moments. I’ll be monitoring this case closely into 2026.
Interestingly, companies that over-automated early in the year are now course-correcting. Some saw a measurable decline in customer sentiment when bots replaced too many human touchpoints.
The lesson: automation is not personalization, and speed does not replace care.
What This Means for CX Leaders Moving Forward
If 2024 was the year of AI experimentation and 2025 is the year of intelligent integration, then the next phase is clear. CX leaders must operationalize a hybrid model where AI drives efficiency, and humans drive connection.
Here are the principles emerging from 2025’s lessons:
- Scale only what delivers clear value.
- Redesign workflows around AI, don’t simply bolt AI onto old processes.
- Invest in skills that marry human and technical capabilities.
- Preserve human interactions for moments that matter most.
- Treat data as a strategic asset, not an afterthought.
The winners in CX over the next few years won’t be those who adopt the most AI, but those who master the balance between humans and technology.
Final Thoughts
At Schneider Electric, we’ve always believed that technology is most powerful when paired with people. As customer expectations evolve and AI becomes woven into everyday operations, that belief has only strengthened. 2025 has shown us that AI can deliver extraordinary efficiencies, but it’s human intelligence, empathy, and skill that transform those efficiencies into meaningful, memorable experiences. That’s why we’re proud to have won Best Digital Customer Experience of the Year for our mySchneider platform, because it embodies this principle. Beyond that, we are committed to solving real-world problems to create a sustainable, digitized, and electric future.
See for yourself how we are transforming industries to unlock efficiency and sustainability, thanks to our AI Hub.
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