AI and humans, humans and AI, how do we get along? That’s the real question that begins in 2024 and will bubble over into future years. It’s an important question of which nobody seems to know exactly how this will work logistically.
Humans are willing to embrace technology that doesn’t threaten their work-life balance, but technology that literally takes work from them and gives nothing back of value, not so much.
Enter all these chatbots being used to replace human beings answering customer support questions. Microsoft is going to embrace them, of course they are. Does anybody reading remember Clippy?! Clippy!
“This Xbox chatbot will appear as an AI character that animates when responding, or as a colorful Xbox orb. It’s part of a larger effort inside Microsoft to apply AI to its Xbox platform and services, ahead of some AI-powered features coming to Xbox consoles soon” via You can now try out Microsoft’s new AI-powered Xbox chatbot – The Verge
For simple Q&A, I’m OK with an AI chatbot, but human customers don’t want to deal with an AI customer support agent. Maybe in Microsoft’s limited field testing, some customers were in favor of this, but by and large, I don’t think people want to have their technology problems handled by faux AI technology. It would be one thing if we had sentient being AI, real, truly smart AI and not advanced algorithms processing that takes ridiculous amounts of power to answer basic questions.
More complex problems, different story. Am just not seeing how this makes any sense for Xbox customers or Microsoft. Yeah, it might save some money over staffed up call centers following scripts, but there is something warm and inviting having human service humans.
Before people hit up the comments decrying that all AI is bad, I’m not saying that either. I think tip-toes in the AI gaming water makes sense. In the same verge article, Microsoft is already working on AI in games, particularly using them for generating some game assets, which is also an area that could reduce human artists. I realize there is a bit of hypocrisy in play here, that I’m saying no on one front — the customer service area — that current AI technology should be largely avoided in another area. The hypocrisy being we use some AI here at PGM — not in the text writing, but in some placeholder images — and I’ve “created” and published multiple AI games this year.
For those reading that don’t know, I also have a completely AI band called, AI Kills that have released two albums in 2024. I’m embracing some amount of AI, trying it out, seeing what creatively it can be used for. I would not be in favor of current AI for customer service. I don’t think people want that.
Maybe I’m wrong, however. Feel free to tell me in the comments if you’re OK with AI chatbots for Xbox customer service? Again, some very basic Q&A, as if we’d just ask a search engine anyway, I’m OK with, but I think once you drop $500 for an Xbox and you have problems with the service on your console, the least helpful thing is going to be an AI chatbot. Agree or disagree?
Bob
I’m not a fan of AI support. I do however don’t mind a good FAQ that is easily accessible and well updated. I think having commonly asked questions that are collected and well documented is smart, and benefits the company and the customer for a quick resolution. When it comes to anything else however I like to speak to a real person over the telephone. Maybe that is old school thinking, but that is what I prefer.