Training My Replacement: The Battle Between Call Center Workers And AI
Fagen Wasanni, Wednesday, July 19,2023
Chatbots and other forms of artificial intelligence (A.I.) have long been seen as a looming threat to many jobs. However, for some workers, that threat is already a reality. Ylonda Sherrod, a customer service representative at AT&T's call center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is one such worker who has experienced the impact of A.I.
As Sherrod drove to work one day, she listened to a radio show discussing artificial intelligence. The hosts questioned whether A.I. could replace human workers. This conversation left Sherrod feeling unsettled and concerned about her own job security. Upon arriving at the call center, she shared the radio exchange with a colleague, who echoed her fears.
Over the past year, A.I. has rapidly integrated into the call center's operations. The customer service representatives no longer need to take their own notes during customer calls. Instead, an A.I. tool generates a transcript for their managers to review later. A.I. technology also provides suggestions for customer interactions, and simple queries are redirected to automated systems, with only complex issues being handled by human representatives.