Walmart welcomes external AI agents — with some guardrails

The mass retailer is focused on transparency and customer control with a new AI agent profile feature and updated agent terms.

By Dani James • Oct. 28, 2026

Hilton expects agentic AI to simplify the hotel customer experience

The hotel is investing in its tech stack as it prepares for agentic AI to drive better customer experiences while reducing costs for the business, President and CEO Chris Nassetta said.

By Bryan Wassel • Oct. 27, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Agentic AI

In this Trendline, CX Dive explores agentic AI case studies and strategies for successful implementation.

By CX Dive staff

How to build a virtual agent customers want to use

Six practices for designing self-service that actually helps customers solve problems.

Oct. 26, 2026

Comcast touts customer service contact rates down 20% this year

As part of its efforts to simplify customer interactions, Comcast has eliminated more than 30 million service interactions so far in 2026, executives said on an earnings call.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 22, 2026

Deployed isn’t done: why contact center AI needs a continuous feedback loop

Launching AI is not the finish line. The real gains come from what you measure and fix after go-live.

Oct. 19, 2026

JPMorgan CEO warns customers of risks of third-party AI agents

As Meta’s Muse reignites fears over AI-driven deposit flight, Jamie Dimon cautioned customers Tuesday that if they’re giving AI agents access to their bank accounts, they’re owning that decision.

By Caitlin Mullen • Oct. 14, 2026

Why customers are fed up with AI chatbots

Few things will cause a customer to immediately request — or demand — a live agent like a bot that misunderstands them.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 14, 2026

Why complex issues stymie AI support, and how brands can fix it

Not passing the context of a call from self-service to human typically reflects integration issues, but it might also indicate a fractured approach to handling customer service.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 13, 2026

AI is ‘reshaping’ Walmart, and Sparky is leading the charge

Advancements in AI are helping Walmart save money, which it is, in turn, reinvesting in customer experience improvements, according to U.S. CEO David Guggina.  

By Nicole Silberstein • Oct. 12, 2026

How AI virtual agents are changing the resolution standard in the contact center

AI virtual agents can now resolve issues end-to-end in the contact center — not just deflect them. Here's what resolution-first AI can mean for CX leaders.

Oct. 12, 2026

A health insurance agency’s journey from pilot to full-time voice AI agent

The majority of eHealth’s customers call during Medicare open enrollment, but after struggling with high call volume, the company turned to voice AI agents for help.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 7, 2026

TikTok to add AI-powered discovery and one-click checkout to its platform

TikTok is already a source of product discovery. Now, it’s adding into the mix a conversational AI agent that can remember user needs, and it’s making purchasing on its platform even easier. 

By Bryan Wassel • Oct. 6, 2026

Home Depot and Lowe’s share a common goal for their AI assistants, but their strategies diverge

CX Dive spoke with the two retailers to understand how their AI assistants are helping shoppers navigate the tricky home improvement category.

By Bryan Wassel • Oct. 6, 2026

Gap unveils AI-assisted shopping, three decades after its first website

Starting Monday, customers can get recommendations from the Alta Daily and Daydream platforms. Banana Republic and Old Navy are also launching conversational shopping agents.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 5, 2026

The next frontier in enterprise support: Knowledge that knows where it’s needed

What if your knowledge didn't wait to be searched?

Oct. 5, 2026

Your AI strategy is only as strong as your CRM foundation

Agentic AI can only deliver trustworthy action when data, business context and workflows are properly connected.

Oct. 5, 2026

Consumers favor AI shopping assistants from brands they already use and trust

Companies should be wary of leveraging brand trust when considering the rollout of an AI shopping assistant.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 2, 2026

Customers say AI has made their service experience worse

Customers have two big complaints from their AI interactions: they can’t reach a person when they need to and they have to repeat themselves, an Alchemer survey found.

By Matt Vartabedian • Oct. 2, 2026

How Schnucks brought its AI shopping assistant to life

The Midwestern grocer wanted to help its shoppers solve the eternal question of “what’s for dinner?” But first, it had to clean up its data.

By Jeff Wells • Oct. 1, 2026

Why pet insurer Pumpkin leaves customer warm calls to its AI agent

With its voice AI Poppy, the company is achieving a higher rate of customers transferring to a licensed human agent, higher sales conversion rates and improving NPS and CSAT interaction scores.

By Matt Vartabedian • Updated Oct. 2, 2026

Where do associates fit in an AI world?

Customers are arriving at stores more educated than ever, but associates still need to support or build on what those shoppers learned from AI, experts say.

By Bryan Wassel • Sept. 29, 2026

How one BPO is positioning for an AI future

As AI automates more customer service interactions, BPOs like TaskUs are figuring out where people will remain in the loop.

By Matt Vartabedian • Sept. 28, 2026

Consumer AI use a boon for the holidays as AI traffic doubles

Consumers using AI engage with brands’ offers at a higher rate than non-AI traffic and generate more revenue per visit, a survey from Adobe found.

By Matt Vartabedian • Sept. 28, 2026

When adopting agentic CX, don’t forget about your customer

The AI that wins isn't the flashiest pilot — it's the one built to last for customers.

Sept. 28, 2026

As consumers use AI for discovery, brands risk losing their relationship to the customer

Brands spent decades building direct customer relationships. Now, as consumers increasingly use AI tools for product recommendations, they are contending with a new reality.

By Matt Vartabedian • Sept. 25, 2026