Who's Really Calling? The Rise of AI Customers - TTEC Digital

For years, the CX industry has obsessed over deploying AI to serve customers better. But a seismic shift is already underway and most contact centers aren't prepared for it.

Customer-initiated AI agents are now making calls, placing orders, and navigating your IVR on behalf of humans. Tools like OpenAI's Operator, Google Call Assist, and Kickoff's debt negotiation service aren't coming, they're here. A large US bank recently received its first live call from a personal AI agent attempting to negotiate debt settlement. The human agent had no policy, no playbook, no idea what to do. They didn't hang up. They authenticated the AI. They negotiated. The deal closed.

This is what Wayne Kay, Regional VP of Sales Leadership EMEA at TTEC Digital, calls "the gasp moment" - the instant CX leaders realize the script has flipped. AI isn't just the tool anymore. It's becoming the customer.

In this exclusive video interview, Wayne reveals what's catching organizations off guard, why authentication methods designed for humans are failing, and what contact centers must do now to prepare for a future where the majority of inbound interactions may not be human at all.

You'll discover:

• Why a major US bank's first AI customer call sent shockwaves through the industry
• The three blind spots CX leaders can't afford to ignore in 2026
• How to build AI customer readiness into your authentication, knowledge systems, and workflows
• What "trust between machines" actually means—and why your security team needs to be at the table
• TTEC Digital's approach to sandboxing AI customer scenarios before they become chaos

This isn't science fiction. It's happening on contact center floors right now. And if you're not thinking about it yet, you're already behind.

Listen to the full interview to understand the inversion - and what to do about it before your next call arrives.