Gartner: 87% of customers want companies that use generative AI in customer service to also offer access to a human agent
Customer trust is low, too: according to Thales, only 23% of customers trust companies to use AI responsibly with their data.
What's happening
According to a Gartner survey reported by CMSWire, 87% of customers say companies that use generative AI in customer service must also offer a way to reach a human agent. Thales' 2026 Digital Trust Index finds that only 23% of customers trust companies to use AI responsibly with their data. According to OneTrust, 87% of organizations encourage the use of AI agents, but only 47% of organizations have clear governance rules and oversight in place for them.
Whose desk it lands on
The executive responsible for customer experience. Do AI-assisted service processes give customers the option of reaching a human agent directly?
Our view
The CX Brief's interpretation, not a claim made by the source.
The three figures paint the same picture: customers want the path to a human to stay open and do not trust companies to use AI responsibly with their data, while organizations are rolling out AI agents faster than they are putting rules in place to oversee them. Against that backdrop, keeping the handoff to a human agent visible looks like the first condition for AI-driven service to win acceptance.
Source
Source:Gartner·Sample: 3,566 B2B and B2C customers
Reported by: CMSWire·October 19, 2026
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