STAMFORD, Conn., December 2, 2025
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Gartner Survey Finds Only 20% of Customer Service Leaders Report AI-Driven Headcount Reduction
AI is Augmenting—Not Replacing—Customer Service Roles, with 42% of Organizations Hiring for New AI-focused Positions
While there is widespread speculation that AI will drastically reduce customer service headcount, currently only 20% of leaders have reduced agent staffing due to AI, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc, a business and technology insights company.
A Gartner survey of 321 customer service and support leaders conducted in October 2025 reveals a more nuanced reality: 55% report stable staffing levels while handling higher customer volumes—underscoring AI’s role in boosting efficiency rather than eliminating jobs.
“Customer service and support leaders should avoid framing AI initiatives solely around headcount reduction,” said Melissa Fletcher, Senior Principal, Research in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. “Instead, focus on incremental transformation and workforce augmentation. Leaders should plan for new roles, leverage central resources, and communicate transparently about AI’s impact to manage expectations effectively.”
The survey also found that 42% of organizations are hiring specialized roles—including AI strategists, conversational AI designers, and automation analysts—to support AI deployment and management. Looking ahead, Gartner forecasts that by 2027, half of organizations anticipating major AI-driven workforce cuts will abandon those plans as the vision of ‘agentless’ service proves elusive.
Gartner clients can read more in the report: The Real Impact of AI on Headcount Today.
About Gartner AI Use Case Insights
Gartner AI Use Case Insights is an interactive tool that helps technology and business leaders efficiently discover, evaluate, and prioritize AI use cases to potentially pursue. Clients can search over 500 use cases (applications of AI in specific industries) and over 1,000 case studies (real world examples) based on industry, business function, and Gartner’s assessment of potential business value. Clients can access the interactive tool at https://tools.gartner.com/use-case-insights.
About Gartner for Customer Service and Support Leaders
The customer service and support function is vital to maintaining customer loyalty and influencing brand perceptions. Gartner for Customer Service & Support Leaders provides indispensable insights, advice and tools needed to achieve service and support leaders’ mission-critical priorities, specifically improving the customer experience while managing costs; designing an optimal service channel strategy; measuring and reducing customer effort; and how to hire, develop and retain high-potential frontline talent.
Follow news and update from the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice on X and LinkedIn using #GartnerCSS. Members of the media can find additional information and insights in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Newsroom.
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Elizabeth Bishop
Gartner
elizabeth.bishop@gartner.com
Jordan Brackenbury
Gartner
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