As the customer service landscape rapidly evolves, customer service and support leaders are focusing on how AI can help advance their priorities for 2026 and beyond. From enhancing customer experience to improving operational efficiency, leaders are looking to go beyond individual AI use cases, seeking to embed AI more deeply into their operating model and employee workflows.

We spoke with Brad Fager, Chief of Research in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice, to explore the actions heads of customer service and support can take to balance the adoption of new AI tools and assistants with the vital role of human agents - whose contributions remain essential in this era of technology integration.