AI is having a moment. Again. But this time, it feels different. We’re past the “what if” stage and well into the “how fast can we make this work?” phase. Companies across industries are rolling out AI-powered solutions at a rapid pace especially in the customer experience space. The goal is faster resolutions, reduced costs, and more consistent service.
But here’s the catch. AI doesn’t just work on its own. Not if you want it to work well, at least.
At Interactions, we believe the most effective AI isn’t just powered by data and models. It’s shaped by people. That belief is at the core of our newest ebook, The Human Side of AI: Behind Every Conversation is a Team Focused on Your Success, which explores what it really takes to design, build, and continuously improve AI that actually helps your customers AND your business.
The Minds Behind the Magic
While many companies only talk about AI in terms of capabilities and features, we focus on even more: the people who bring those capabilities to life. That includes:
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Conversation designers who craft dialog that sounds natural, uses your brand voice, and guides customers to fast, accurate outcomes.
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Developers and system integrators who make sure your IVA plays nicely with your back-end systems, CRM, APIs, and more.
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Client success teams who aren’t just monitoring performance – they’re proactively looking for ways to improve your KPIs and support your roadmap.
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Support teams who ensure the technology performs reliably and troubleshoot before you even know there’s an issue.
These people bring creativity, experience, and strategic thinking to every part of the AI lifecycle. They’re the reason your IVA can navigate complex business rules, respond with empathy, and evolve over time.
Real Conversations Require Real Human Insight
One of the biggest takeaways from the ebook is that AI doesn’t replace humans, it works best when it’s guided by them.
Take conversation design. While AI can process and understand inputs, it takes human expertise to decide how to respond, what tone to use, and how to handle tricky or emotional scenarios. A return question in retail is different from an appointment issue in healthcare. A payment arrangement in energy might require nuanced handling depending on regulations and internal policies. Our teams don’t guess at these things. They study the data, listen to real calls, collaborate with your business stakeholders, and build experiences that reflect the real world, not just the ideal one.
For example, one energy client had highly complex internal rules around missed payment arrangements. Our team worked closely with them to essentially turn their APIs into a knowledge tree, allowing the IVA to handle countless scenarios with precision. The result? A smoother experience for customers, and a huge drop in calls to the contact center.
Optimization Doesn’t Stop at Go-Live
Another misconception we tackle in the ebook is that AI systems are “set it and forget it.” In reality, the best AI solutions are constantly evolving. Our teams regularly monitor customer interactions, analyze performance, and surface new opportunities to increase self-service, reduce friction, and improve outcomes.
The ebook shares several stories where small shifts—like changing phrasing or modifying a call flow—led to major improvements in metrics like containment, agent transfers, and customer satisfaction.
Another example? A retail client was using internal jargon in their IVA. Customers calling about returns were asked if their issue involved a “claim” from a “non-brand store”, phrasing that caused confusion and led to more live agent transfers. Our team listened to the calls, made the language more natural (“return” and “third-party store”), and saw both confusion and transfers drop significantly.
(We don’t give away all of the examples here, but they’re worth the read in the ebook…. hint hint.)
Finding a True Partner, Not Just a Vendor
Ultimately, what this ebook highlights is the value of having a true partner when you implement conversational AI. Someone who knows your industry, understands your goals, and brings the right mix of technical skill and human judgment. Someone who doesn’t just deliver a product but stays involved, offering ideas, uncovering patterns, and helping you adapt as your business evolves.
At Interactions, our customers don’t just get a platform. They get a team. One that’s as invested in their success as they are.
Want to see how it all comes together? Download The Human Side of AI to meet the people behind the experience and see how human insight, creativity, and care are what make great AI possible.
