"AI agents can elevate CX and foster deeper engagement"

Maureen Chong, Regional Vice President, Asia and India at Zendesk, brings over two decades of expertise in the information technology sector, spanning strategic roles at Akamai, SAP, Oracle, and IBM.

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At Zendesk, she leads the company's go-to-market strategy across Asia and India, helping businesses transform their customer experience frameworks through next-generation technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (Al).

In this conversation with Shubhendu Parth, she unpacks the evolution of Al agents in redefining customer engagement—from scaling omnichannel presence and automating social media interactions to delivering deeply personalised, emotionally intelligent support. Chong also explains how Al agents go far beyond traditional chatbots to anticipate customer needs, improve handoffs, and unlock insights through sentiment tracking and data analytics.

How are Al agents transforming customer experience (CX) compared to traditional chatbots?

Traditional chatbots served as the foundational step in customer experience automation, providing basic, scripted responses to common inquiries. With technological advancement, Al agents became the next evolution in this journey, offering significantly enhanced capabilities. Unlike their predecessors, Al agents utilise advanced machine learning to understand context, personalise interactions, and adapt in real time. This allows for more complex and meaningful conversations, as they learn from each interaction to continuously improve.

They are sophisticated tools equipped with the ability to understand and resolve complex issues and execute business procedures with a high level of autonomy. By anticipating customer needs and delivering tailored solutions, Al agents elevate the CX and foster deeper engagement and loyalty, marking a significant leap forward in customer service technology.