Dean Mozrall for RBJ: High touch, not merely high tech

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As seen in the Rochester Business Journal on August 20, 2026.

AI is revolutionizing the customer journey in a wide array of dimensions. What must not be lost in this revolution, though, is the human element — including empathy, care, ethical reasoning, as well as effective decision-making and support.

At the dawn of the AI era, a mere four years ago with the introduction of ChatGPT, it was already clear that the new technology would be critical to the customer experience. In early 2022, the Harvard Business Review declared, “We are now at the point where competitive advantage will derive from the ability to capture, analyze, and utilize personalized customer data at scale and from the use of AI to understand, shape, customize, and optimize the customer journey” (“Customer Experience in the Age of AI,” HBR, March/April 2022).

This trend will grow dramatically in the coming years as AI continues to proliferate. A recent New York Times article, “The Impending, Inescapable Deluge of AI,” states there are roughly 20 million AI chips in data centers fueling the AI revolution. Astonishingly, that number is expected to double every nine months, meaning that by 2028 there will be some 200 million chips. Undoubtedly, the use of AI to enhance customer experience can only increase and improve.

However, it has become equally clear that this personalized experience must not come at the cost of personal contact, or human touch. A successful, rich customer experience requires a strategy for “striking the right balance between automation and human interaction” (“The Age of Experience: How AI Is Supercharging CX,” AI Magazine, May 6, 2025).

Successful implementation of AI in customer experience is characterized by virtually instantaneous and personalized assistance, including callback options, at least initially with minimal, if any, human interaction. This works best for functions that are “repeatable, predictable, and rule based” (“How to AI-Proof Your Job,” CNN, May 22, 2026).

Consider the following examples of AI in customer service (Xerox, May 15, 2025):

• Instant responses from chatbots which provide “immediate answers to common customer queries, walk users through steps or help troubleshoot problems.”
• Intelligent routing of questions to the right human agent.
• Automated follow-ups and updates.
• Interactive voice response (IVR) systems allow customers to describe issues naturally and intuitively, eliminating the frustration of navigating through seemingly endless menus.

What is called for is a new form of “Collective Intelligence,” the enhanced capacity that comes about when service providers and computers collaborate to pool automated knowledge and human sensibility. Where AI works, not as a replacement for, but as a complement to a human being. No matter how much intelligence AI offers, it cannot provide a human touch, nor some human insights.

In practical terms, this means that success in managing the customer experience in the age of AI makes the acquisition and polishing of the so-called “soft skills,” or what some have now coined “power skills,” more critical than ever before. Some workplace experts argue that as more businesses adopt AI tools, soft skills such as empathy, critical thinking and ethical decision-making — include here “communication”— “are worth cultivating to help employees become indispensable,” according to “The Skills People Still Perform Better Than AI, According to Workplace Experts,” (AP News, June 11, 2026).

These observations are borne out by our conversations with Saunders College alumni, including recent graduates, mid-career professionals, and those in the C-suite, from people in a variety of industries. As everyone gears up with AI, they must not lose sight of the human element and connection, giving renewed attention to the communication and critical thinking skills long prized as the foundations of a “T-shaped” professional: with deep disciplinary training (the vertical stem of the T) coupled with a breadth of interdisciplinary competencies (the horizontal stem).

As illustration, consider the work of my colleague Bill Dresnack, associate professor of accounting, who in a long-range study has interviewed more than 50 accounting professionals about how AI is impacting their practices. He has found that, contrary to what many have feared, managers have no plans to do less hiring. Rather, they seek to hire staff who can acquire technical skills rapidly while simultaneously acting as good communicators with clients, serving in a consulting and advisory role.

“Everybody has the AI tools,” says Dresnack. “Anyone can go online and run all kinds of accounting reports using ChatGPT or Gemini. So, how do you differentiate your firm? You do that by interpreting those reports and speaking to clients face-to-face about what the reports mean, how the findings impact their business, and how they should go forward.”

That is, accounting managers are looking for good communicators who can respond quickly and confidently to clients — to provide the human touch — and to offer a nuanced view of what the data mean and how they impact their business model. These managers want people who can communicate and provide meaningful advice in ways AI cannot, particularly as accounting firms grow client advisory services.

In myriad other businesses, where a superior customer experience is central to success, AI will continue to make inroads, and the Collective Intelligence model mentioned earlier will become ever more critical.

Consider the advent of intelligent eyewear, which provides the wearer with instantaneous access to a wealth of information. Imagine needing assistance in Wegmans and approaching an employee wearing those glasses for help. In the not-too-distant future, she would be able to greet you by name, know your buying habits and food allergies, or other facts relative to your shopping experience. She could, in short, seamlessly personalize the interaction. And, significantly, that interaction would be with a human being and not a robot. Thus, Collective Intelligence: adding the best of AI to the flexibility, creativity, improvisation, ethical perspectives — and, no small matter, warmth — of a person. AI will not replace the human experience, but rather, enhance it!

As with accounting, so with grocery shopping. We can use AI for many things, but customers still require and appreciate the cultural capital and emotional intelligence provided by a human being.

The differentiator in the AI-enhanced customer experience is high touch, not merely high tech.

Jacquelline Mozrall is dean, RIT Saunders College of Business.