CX has spent years drowning in data but frequently failing to translate that information into tangible business improvements. But now AI is emerging as a powerful new force for change and could transform the industry, but only if those using it avoid repeating past mistakes.

According to Zack Hamilton, a seasoned CX practitioner and the candid voice behind the "Unf*cking Your CX" newsletter and podcast, a reckoning is due. He argues that for CX to be taken seriously, and prioritized in budgets, it must evolve from a passive role reporting customer sentiment into an active driver of business outcomes – with AI playing a crucial, albeit carefully managed, role.

Speaking P&L: "There's a reason why so many brands minimize CX for cost efficiency, and why so many people are getting laid off," Hamilton says. "Customer experience has become more than just an insights theater or just a readout on ‘here's what our customers are saying’. No one's really owning or taking action on those specific frictions. And part of that is because, as a discipline, we have failed to connect the dots and be that translator of customer-to-business."  

The traditional playbook relies on surveys, dashboards, and governance committees that are often too slow and disconnected from the P&L realities executives care about. "Our executives don't speak customer, they speak P&L," Hamilton says. "And so it's our job to be able to connect the dots to where executives care about it."

AI setting the pace: Enter AI agents, which Hamilton sees as a powerful solution as long as they are implemented thoughtfully. "Ultimately, brands have to be able to get ahead of the pack or at least keep pace if they want to stay relevant. When I think about AI, I think the rise of agents is what's going to help us be able to keep pace or get ahead of the pace," he explains. Hamilton's vision involves a future where "a team of agents drives the customer experience," calibrated and overseen by a smaller, highly skilled human team.