If someone says « AI, » what do you think? Most people would say, « artificial intelligence. »

McKinsey notes that AI adoption is rising steadily, citing that 56% of all respondents to their 2021 survey report AI adoption in at least one function, up from 50% in 2020. Service organizations are one of the primary areas where AI is being applied.

While machine learning delivers new insight, it cannot entirely replace humans. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field service industry, which was especially apparent during the pandemic. After all, robots weren’t able to keep manufacturing lines running in the early days of the pandemic when human workers weren’t allowed on the factory floor. If a machine is broken, it’s a human who has to fix it.

The other AI—augmented intelligence—has flown more under the radar. But the idea of using technology to experientially influence process and/or mechanical resolution by a human worker is just as powerful as artificial intelligence. A great example of this is in the evolving service experience field.