If your strategy is still “add AI to the contact center,” this conversation is a needed reset—covering why customers will expect continuity across channels, why legacy workflows crack under AI pressure, and how transparency and security become non-negotiable CX features.
“Omnichannel” isn’t the finish line anymore. In 2026, customers will expect one continuous conversation with your brand—across channels, formats, and even weeks later. Kieran Devlin speaks with Vinod Muthukrishnan of Webex Customer Experience (Cisco) on why AI is becoming the front door and the operating system for CX—and why trust must be built into the stack, not layered on at the end.
Key takeaways:
- The next CX shift: consistency across channels, modalities, and time—so customers don’t have to repeat themselves.
- AI-first means rebuild: treating AI as an equal participant in workflows (routing, QA, insights, workforce), not a feature add-on. Trust as a CX capability: transparency on “was this AI?”, “why this recommendation?”, and “how was my data used?” without slowing service.
- Humans get more valuable: AI handles the busywork so agents focus on empathy, judgment, and the hardest customer moments.
