Is automating customer support the ultimate solution?

Today I read in TechCrunch that Airbnb says a third of its customer support in the US and Canada is now handled by AI.

Many CRM-focused platforms are following suit, automating support with their own “AI bots” – for example, Crisp, Chatbase, and others.

From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense: lower costs, faster responses, and fewer lost customers.

From a customer perspective:

I remember the situations where you just can’t reach a real human, and AI can’t solve the specific problem.

This happened to me just a month ago on Trading 212, where I needed to provide statements from an old bank account I had closed three years ago. I was redirected to a bank chatbot that couldn’t help, and the general email gave me an automatic reply saying it couldn’t handle my request.

In the end, I had to go in person to the bank branch.

Today’s technology forced me to use a solution from the 1980s.

In finance, which is sensitive in 99% of cases, I wouldn’t fully rely on AI support, but would instead prefer a hybrid model, where AI is complemented by human assistance.

Of course, in such a setup, support agents may not be fully occupied at all times, but customers get help when they really need it.

The question for companies: How can you optimally integrate AI into customer support while keeping humans available when it counts?