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Automation & agent productivity

How much contact-center work AI can absorb, and how much time it gives back.

View 6 statisticsLast updated: August 2026

How much contact-center work AI can absorb, and how much time it gives back. Every statistic on this page is attributed to a named source and publication year.

Forecast — a projection published by the source, not a measured result.

80%

AI-powered virtual assistants can handle up to 80% of routine customer inquiries, IBM reports.

IBM · 2022

80%

2022

Gartner forecast that 80% of customer interactions would be digital by 2025.

Gartner · 2022 · Forecast — a projection published by the source, not a measured result.

80%

2024

Gartner predicts agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer service issues by 2029 without human intervention.

Gartner · 2024 · Forecast — a projection published by the source, not a measured result.

30–45%

McKinsey estimates generative AI can cut average agent handle time by 30 to 45 percent in contact centers.

McKinsey & Company · 2023

50%

2023

McKinsey projects generative AI could eventually resolve around half of all customer interactions in contact centers.

McKinsey & Company · 2023 · Forecast — a projection published by the source, not a measured result.

~20%

Knowledge workers spend nearly 20% of their week searching for and gathering information — time AI copilots are built to reclaim.

McKinsey Global Institute · 2012

Cite this page

Hasan Alzein (2026). Automation & agent productivity — AI Customer Service & Call Center Statistics 2026. https://hasanalzein.com/en/statistics/automation-productivity

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Primary sources on this page: IBM (2022) · Gartner (2022) · Gartner (2024) · McKinsey & Company (2023) · McKinsey Global Institute (2012)