Verizon CEO says AI could replace large share of customer care work

TL;DR: Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said in a Bloomberg interview that AI could replace “a large percentage” of work handled by customer service representatives. He said AI can handle simple tasks such as password recovery and bill checks, while human staff and AI agents would work together on more complex requests. Schulman also said Verizon is using AI for network security and has set aside $20 million for employee reskilling after cutting more than 13,000 jobs last year.

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said in a Bloomberg interview that AI could replace “a large percentage” of work handled by customer service representatives. Schulman said AI would cause “disruption in certain job functions” and identified customer care as an area where Verizon could apply the technology quickly. He said AI could handle simple customer queries such as recovering a lost password or checking a billing amount.

Schulman said more complex customer requests would be handled by human employees working with AI agents. He also said Verizon is using AI in network security, stating that the company supports critical infrastructure in the US and that AI tools would help protect it. Schulman linked Verizon’s AI deployment to efforts to improve customer experience and company performance.

In April, Schulman told the Wall Street Journal that leaders should be open with employees about AI’s effect on the workforce. Last year, Verizon cut more than 13,000 jobs and then set aside $20 million to help reskill employees for AI-related work. Schulman said about 7,000 employees have applied for training programs that include prompt writing and AI agent creation. He also said he has been meeting government officials in Washington, DC about responsible AI use.

Related questions

• What customer care tasks did Verizon CEO Dan Schulman say AI could handle?
• How many jobs did Verizon cut before setting aside reskilling funds?
• How much has Verizon allocated for AI-related employee reskilling?
• How many Verizon employees have applied for AI training, according to Schulman?