Georgina Wilczek

Georgina Wilczek

Event Host CX Network
Georgina Wilczek

Tuesday 12 May 2026

10:00 AM Panel discussion: From cost center to intelligence hub: How AI is redefining the role of the contact center

For decades, contact centers have primarily been viewed as operational cost centers focused on resolving customer issues as efficiently as possible. Today, however, advances in artificial intelligence are fundamentally reshaping the role these functions play within organizations. AI-powered technologies are enabling contact centers to automate routine interactions, analyse customer sentiment in real time, and extract valuable insights from vast volumes of customer conversations.

As a result, the contact center is increasingly becoming a strategic hub for customer intelligence, proactive engagement and continuous experience improvement. Yet this transformation raises critical questions for CX leaders.
How can organizations successfully integrate AI into service operations while maintaining trust, empathy and human connection? What role will human agents play as automation becomes more sophisticated? And how can customer service teams demonstrate their strategic value to the wider business?
Key takeaways:
  • Understand how AI is transforming the contact center operating model
  • Explore how organizations are balancing automation with human empathy
  • Identify the investments CX leaders must prioritise in the next 2–3 years
  • Learn how customer service teams can become a strategic source of customer insight