5 Key Trends in AI & Customer Experience in 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to be an incredibly interesting subject when it comes to customer experience (CX).
Businesses can see the offering as an innovative way to enhance service delivery, personalise interactions, and drive efficiency. Yet as organisations strive to balance technological advancements with the human touch, it’s important we understand how to ensure this actually creates a positive experience for customers in the long run.
On the 13th May I will be hosting a panel for Customer Alpha 2025, discussing AI and the human touch - a subject that is as pressing as it has ever been - and one that I very much see Future Platforms holding as a priority for digital transformation now and in the near future.
With that in mind, here are 5 trends I see as key for 2025 on the subject.
1. AI Powered Customer Service
Amazon Web Services (AWS) now offers a suite of tools that enable businesses to provide instant, personalised support across multiple channels, including Amazon Connect, Amazon Lex, and Amazon Bedrock.
These tools aim to help businesses provide 24/7 availability, enhance agent efficiency, personalise customer interactions and streamline operations.
For example they claim that Inmetrics, a leader in Quality Engineering, leveraged AWS’s AI services to develop ‘Liev’, an AI solution accelerator that led to a 30% increase in call centre efficiency and a 93% reduction in contract analysis effort.
This technology could potentially be an incredibly transformational one, however should be used in the right way for the customer. One aspect is when AI assists human agents by summarising customer interactions and suggesting next best actions, leading to faster resolution times. This is the perfect combination of keeping human interaction at the forefront, whilst utilising AI to provide a better experience for both the customer and the representative.
2. Conversational AI Enhancing Customer Interactions
The key here is to keep things personal. There is nothing worse for a frustrated customer than being presented with a chatbot that is far from personalised.
The adoption of conversational AI, including chatbots and virtual assistants has of course surged, providing customers with instant support. These tools handle routine inquiries efficiently, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues, thereby improving overall service quality - ideally.
The previously mentioned Amazon service aims to analyse customer data in real-time, using AI to deliver tailored responses that meet individual customer needs. This could be a strong contender for meeting the customer half way, and keeping the promise of truly intelligent and empathetic customer service alive.
3. Search is Changing
When we think of search we often think of Google. But there are many sources of information, and AI agents are well positioned to take information from these sources and provide them in a useful format to customers.
Google recently looked at how AI is reshaping the customer experience, and search is a big part of that.
There are multiple ways (including Google's Vertex AI) for businesses to take advantage of creating their own cloud AI models, leveraging a wealth of organisational data that can be refined and used for multiple purposes to drive business value. Becoming less reliant on external models like ChatGPT is already becoming an area we are regularly having conversations about.
4. Integration of AI in Retail Customer Experience
In 2025, artificial intelligence is not merely enhancing retail experiences it's revolutionising them. A staggering 95% of customer interactions are now AI-assisted (Exploding Topics), encompassing online chats, voice calls, and in-store engagements. Retailers are leveraging AI to deliver hyper-personalized experiences, streamline operations, and foster deeper customer connections.
As another example, Morrisons has introduced "Tally" robots in select UK stores, capable of scanning up to 30,000 products per hour to ensure shelf accuracy and optimize inventory. Similarly, Sam's Club is eliminating traditional checkout lanes across its 600 U.S. stores by implementing AI-driven "Scan & Go" systems, allowing customers to shop and exit seamlessly.
On the digital front, platforms like ChatGPT are launching shopping features that provide personalized recommendations, visual product details and direct purchase links - aiming to centralise and simplify the online shopping journey.
Moreover, companies like Perfect Corp. are enhancing in-store experiences with AI-powered virtual try-ons and skin analysis tools, offering tailored product suggestions based on individual customer profiles.
These advancements underscore a significant shift towards AI-driven retail environments where technology not only augments efficiency but also enriches the customer experience, making shopping more intuitive, personalized, and engaging than ever before.
5. Emotionally Intelligent AI
As artificial intelligence matures into mainstream markets, one of the most significant shifts we’re seeing in 2025 is toward emotionally intelligent systems - tools that don’t just process data but sense how we feel.
Emotionally intelligent AI is beginning to close the empathy gap, enabling brands to understand not only what a customer says but how they say it. And this is no niche development.
According to Harvard Business Review, the top GenAI use case for 2025 is therapy and companionship, overtaking content creation and search, and pointing to a clear trend: people are using AI to support their emotional wellbeing more than any other task. What’s more, new use cases like “organising my life” and “finding purpose” have entered the top five for the first time. This isn't just a shift - it's a redefinition of AI's role in everyday life.
For businesses, this means emotionally attuned AI isn’t a 'nice-to-have' - it’s fast becoming table stakes for meaningful CX.
Voice models like Dia by Nari Labs, which now replicate human nuances like sighs and laughter, and mental wellness platforms like EmoBay that adapt to your tone and sentiment in real-time, are setting new standards in how AI engages with us.
If AI once promised efficiency, its next act demands emotional fluency.
As customers increasingly turn to machines for emotional support and personal guidance, brands must ask themselves a sharp question: if your AI can’t detect frustration, confusion or joy - are you truly meeting your customers where they are?
The future of CX won’t just be about faster. It’ll be about feeling.
If you're ready to elevate your customer experience with AI, book a call with our team today.