Verizon bets on AI agents to transform CX

Verizon says it is gaining a competitive edge on other telecommunications companies by deploying artificial intelligence (AI) agents to transform customer experience (CX). AI agents can handle workflows, decision-making and customer interactions without human intervention. They are autonomous, and many CX leaders are predicting that they will become more ubiquitous - and swiftly.

AI agents to transform CX

For now, most who have deployed AI agents have them addressing simpler problems and commonly asked questions. This frees up time for human agents to deliver the empathy that machines cannot. However, the technology continues to advance, and it is already being used to determine human emotion to identify escalating customer problems to ensure human agents are brought into the conversation when necessary.

Most experts expect AI agents to eventually be able to handle more complex issues on their own. However, most are also suggesting moving forward with caution as a result of the realization that people still matter in CX. After all, AI has gone rogue with customers before. Hallucinations, bias and privacy remain concerns, too. 

The technology that Verizon is deploying is a result of its partnership with Google. In a number of reports, Verizon described the technology as being small language models, as opposed to large language models, for each case. In layman's terms, the technology has been customized to meet the specific needs of Verizon. The My Verizon app is leveraging Google Gemini AI technology. The suite of tools includes the following:

• Expanded live customer agent hours.
• 24/7 Live chat.
• Access to more physical Verizon stores.
• More perks and giveaways.

Balancing technology and humanity

While some companies have been reluctant to invest in AI, Verizon recently announced these upgrades that leverage the power of both man and machine. More specifically, Verizon is offering expanded retail and call center hours (from 9 a.m. to midnight local time) with 400 new stores in the United States and access to AI assistants and Customer Champions, a group of elite human agents who can resolve more complex issues.

Previously, Customer Champions served only large business clients and now they are available to every consumer. Using Google Gemini 2.0 models, they process calls, identify solutions and keep customers updated throughout the process, according to CNET. These human agents are meant to solve customer problems on the first call.  

One of the issues is that Verizon lost 300,000 customers in the first quarter of 2025, according to CNET. However, Verizon has suggested that this rollout of tools is part of a bigger project that first included improved sales infrastructure and then focused on price plans. Now, it's all about the customer. 

In addition to the suite of tools, Verizon plans to give away 35,000 free prizes through its Verizon Access Program. This includes tickets, devices and more. While many companies are replacing at least some human agents with AI agents, Verizon is doubling down on the importance of people in CX. 

"Everyone else is going the other way," says Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon Consumer, according to Newsweek. "We've added 400 stores because we are a local brand at the end of the day. We want to be in the local community, and I don't want to force customers down a certain path." 

Can Verizon pioneer AI agents to transform CX?

Sampath even shared his own personal email address with customers in a letter introducing these new offerings, according to CNET. His hope is that Verizon will lead CX among telecom companies and beyond.

"We are aspiring to set the standard for customer experience," says Sampath in the Newsweek article. "We do a good job, but I don't think we stand out from our peers." 

Verizon has been listening to customers in an attempt to give them what they want. Sampath says that he regularly gets summaries of the feedback clients share in calls. Consumer opinion about wanting faster resolution weighed into the decision to invest in AI agents and additional stores and human agents. 

Indeed, Verizon is paying attention to consumer trends and preferences. More than 90 percent of U.S. consumers told Kinsta in a survey that they prefer talking to a person rather than a machine for customer interactions. Also, 86 percent of respondents to a survey by Five9 said empathy and human connection were more important than a quick response in providing excellent CX.

Keeping humans in the loop 

Most of the thought leaders featured in the CX Network report, completed in partnership with Talkdesk, also recommend striking the right balance between leveraging AI with the human touch. For example, AI thought leader Doug Shannon warns companies to be honest about what AI agents are doing and not doing or risk losing the trust of customers. 

However, many are raising alarm bells or at least warning people about applying AI agents without having eyes wide open. 

"As of now, there’s no foolproof way to guarantee that AI agents will act as their developers intend or to prevent malicious actors from misusing them. And though researchers like Yoshua Bengio, a professor of computer science at the University of Montreal and one of the so-called 'godfathers of AI,' are working hard to develop new safety mechanisms, they may not be able to keep up with the rapid expansion of agents’ powers," according to MIT Technology Review on LinkedIn. "'If we continue on the current path of building agentic systems,'” Bengio says according to MIT, “'we are basically playing Russian roulette with humanity.'”

In this latest initiative, Verizon is focused on responding to customers, playing it safe with the AI by keeping humans in the loop and even elevating their importance in CX. Their mission is to improve first-call resolution rates. The company is making the most of its place in the market by leveraging the fact that it provides "the best network," offers additional savings to customers and creates the right mix of technology and people, says Sampath, according to CBS News in a Verizon-sponsored segment. The mindset about AI agents' role is consistent with the thought leadership presented by most experts. For now, AI agents are helping Verizon provide more efficient support to customers. 

"The AI assistant is like talking to someone with unlimited patience," Sampath said to CBS. "It will solve every single problem for you." 

Quick links: 

• Preparing your data for AI in CX: Ethics, centralization and adoption
• AI agents will reduce workforce but transform CX, says Amazon’s CEO
• How Conduent prepares customers for automation