Key insights from All Access: AI Revolution in CX and Contact Centers

At CX Network’s All Access: AI Revolution in CX and Contact Centers APAC 2026, industry leaders from Microsoft, Super Retail Group, Zendesk, Cigna Healthcare, CIMB, and Dialog Axiata shared practical insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming CX across APAC, from early experimentation to mature, enterprise-wide strategies.

Through panels, interviews, and fireside discussions, a clear message emerged: successful AI adoption is not just about technology, but requires strong data foundations, cultural change, and a clear focus on improving both customer and employee experiences.

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Start small and build strong foundations

Opening the event, Joshua Curtis of Super Retail Group and Heng Zheng of Microsoft explored how organizations are currently implementing AI in their CX operations. While Microsoft has already embedded AI deeply into its operations, Super Retail Group is in the early stages of adoption, focusing primarily on tools that assist frontline agents and reduce customer friction.

Zheng explained that Microsoft has shifted from analyzing customer feedback after interactions to generating real-time insights powered by AI, allowing teams to respond to issues faster and make more proactive improvements. However, both speakers cautioned against rushing implementation. They emphasized the importance of starting with small pilot programs, ensuring existing processes work effectively before automating them, and involving frontline employees in the transformation journey.

Zheng also highlighted that the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity means that “one-size-fits-all” AI models rarely succeed, requiring significant localization and contextual understanding to deliver meaningful results.

Data governance remains a critical priority

As AI capabilities expand, so do concerns around data security and privacy.

Zheng stressed that companies must establish clear data governance frameworks before deploying AI solutions, including robust data classification, access controls, and internal policies governing how customer information is used. Without these safeguards in place, organizations risk undermining customer trust, and this becomes increasingly important as AI systems interact directly with customers.

Another key theme was the importance of measuring AI success beyond cost reduction. While automation can drive operational efficiencies, the speakers argued that organizations should prioritize customer-centric metrics such as satisfaction and resolution quality, rather than focusing solely on financial savings. 

Catch up with the session on CX+

The rise of the agentic contact center

In a session hosted by Zendesk, Sheila Walthoe and Hannah Deveney introduced a new concept that is rapidly gaining traction: the agentic contact center. Based on research with 1,000 global contact center leaders, Zendesk’s 2026 report Leader’s Guide to the Agentic Contact Center suggests the industry is moving beyond traditional automation toward AI systems that actively collaborate with human agents to resolve issues proactively. Rather than reacting to customer inquiries, agentic systems aim to identify and address problems before customers even realize they exist.

The model is built around six core components:

1. Proactive support
2. AI-first interaction
3. Multimodal service across channels
4. Intelligent escalation to human agents
5. Specialist integration across departments
6. Continuous quality assurance

Polling conducted during the session revealed that many companies are still at the early stages of this transformation. Siloed data and legacy systems emerged as the biggest barriers preventing contact centers from becoming more proactive, while budget constraints were cited far less frequently. 

To move forward, Zendesk advised organizations to start by auditing their current contact center infrastructure and unifying interaction data across channels, ensuring agents have access to a complete view of customer context.

From cost center to revenue driver

One of the most significant shifts discussed during the event was the changing perception of contact centers within organizations. Historically seen as cost centers focused on efficiency metrics such as average handle time, many leaders now view them as strategic drivers of growth and customer loyalty.

Zendesk’s research found that 92 percent of leaders believe contact centers can contribute directly to revenue generation, reflecting a broader shift toward outcome-based metrics that prioritize customer value rather than operational efficiency alone.

Balancing automation with empathy

Healthcare insurer Cigna Healthcare also offered a perspective on how AI can transform customer engagement in highly sensitive industries. Jaslyin Qiyu, chief marketing officer and head of customer experience for Singapore and Australia, explained that Cigna’s CX transformation began just one year ago, enabled by stronger leadership commitment, improved data capabilities, and advances in AI tools.

The organization is using AI in several practical ways, including:

• Intelligent triage to route queries efficiently
• Predictive service that anticipates customer needs
• Agent-assisted tools that support employees during interactions
• However, Qiyu emphasized that healthcare requires a careful balance between automation and human empathy.

“AI should reduce friction and enhance service, but human touchpoints remain essential,” she said, particularly during emotionally sensitive moments such as medical concerns or claims disputes.

Catch up with the session on CX+

Case study: A decade of AI in banking

Financial services organization CIMB then provided a longer-term perspective on AI adoption. Manpreet Tejvah Singh, Senior managing director and head of group customer experience, explained that the bank began its AI journey nearly a decade ago. Initially focused on personalisation and fraud detection, the technology has since expanded into employee experience, collections processes and conversational chatbots.

CIMB has also embedded AI into its digital banking platforms, contributing to the bank’s internet banking app achieving a 4.9 rating in the App Store. Crucially, Singh stressed that the bank sees AI as a way to augment human decision-making rather than replace it, particularly when dealing with sensitive situations such as complaints, fraud cases or financial distress.

She also highlighted the importance of integrating AI with existing systems rather than replacing legacy infrastructure outright. This is a pragmatic approach that many large enterprises are choosing to adopt.

Catch up with the session on CX+

Change management is key to AI success

In the final fireside chat, Rekha Weerasooriya, senior general manager of customer experience and people development at Dialog Axiata in Sri Lanka, reinforced another recurring theme: that successful AI implementation depends heavily on effective organizational change management.

Dialog began its digital transformation journey in 2017 by simplifying processes and introducing robotic process automation (RPA). The company then progressed into analytics and AI between 2021 and 2023. Today, AI powers several customer service tools, including DRBot, a multilingual chatbot that operates in three local languages and helps reduce call center volumes while ensuring human agents remain available for complex cases.

Weerasooriya emphasized that building trust among employees is essential for successful AI adoption. This requires organizations to invest in upskilling programs, clear communication, and strong executive sponsorship, ensuring employees view AI as a support tool rather than a threat.

Catch up with the session on CX+ 

The future of AI in CX

In summary, while organizations across APAC are at different stages of AI maturity, the discussions throughout the event highlighted several shared priorities.

Firstly, companies must build strong data foundations and governance frameworks before scaling AI initiatives.

Secondly, AI should be implemented in ways that enhance human capabilities rather than replace them, particularly in complex or emotionally sensitive interactions.

Finally, for ultimate success with AI, we need to rethink the role of customer service, positioning contact centers not just as support functions but as strategic hubs for customer insight, loyalty, and growth.

With this in mind, as AI technologies continue to evolve, it seems that those that succeed in APAC over the next few years will be those that combine technological innovation with strong leadership, thoughtful change management, and a relentless focus on improving customer outcomes.

Quick links

• 5 benefits of AI in the contact center
• There’s no point in great CX if it doesn’t create revenue
• How 9 APAC countries are regulating the use of AI

48021.004 All Access: The AI Revolution in CX 2026

All Access: The Revolution of AI in CX will explore how to demonstrate ROI from your AI initiatives, establish governance frameworks that ensure transparency and accountability. Join us for your chance to stay at the forefront of the CX evolution.

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