#AI in Customer Service

[precallai]

Top AI Features Powering Next-Gen Contact Centers

Introduction

The evolution of contact centers from traditional call hubs to intelligent customer engagement platforms is being driven by artificial intelligence (AI). In a hyper-connected world where customers expect fast, personalized, and efficient service, AI is playing a transformative role. From automating routine tasks to offering real-time analytics and sentiment analysis, AI is redefining the standards of customer support. Modern contact centers, powered by AI, are becoming more responsive, proactive, and insightful—enhancing both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

This article explores the top AI features that are revolutionizing next-generation contact centers and how they are helping businesses stay competitive in today’s digital landscape.

1. AI-Powered Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

Perhaps the most visible AI application in contact centers is the use of chatbots and virtual assistants. These tools are capable of handling thousands of customer queries simultaneously across various platforms, including websites, mobile apps, and social media.

Key Benefits:

24/7 availability

Immediate responses to FAQs

Reduced workload for human agents

Seamless integration with CRM systems

Advanced AI chatbots use Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) to understand customer queries better and improve over time. They also support multilingual interactions, expanding a business’s global reach.

2. Intelligent Call Routing

Traditional call routing systems use basic algorithms like round-robin or skill-based routing. AI takes this to the next level with predictive routing, which uses historical data and real-time analytics to match customers with the most suitable agents.

Example: If a customer previously had a billing issue and rated a certain agent highly, AI can route future related calls directly to that agent, ensuring a personalized experience.

Benefits:

Enhanced customer satisfaction

Reduced average handling time

Better utilization of agent expertise

3. Speech and Sentiment Analysis

AI-driven sentiment analysis tools assess the tone, pitch, and language of customer conversations in real-time. This allows agents to adapt their approach based on the emotional state of the caller.

Key Capabilities:

Detect frustration or satisfaction

Real-time alerts for supervisors

Contextual response suggestions for agents

This not only helps in de-escalating potential conflicts but also contributes to training and performance reviews.

4. Real-Time Agent Assistance

AI can provide live suggestions, answers, and prompts to agents during customer interactions. Known as Agent Assist or Co-Pilot systems, these features boost agent efficiency and reduce error rates.

Use Cases:

Auto-suggesting answers based on past tickets or knowledge base

Providing legal or compliance language for regulated industries

Offering upsell/cross-sell suggestions during the call

This enables even less-experienced agents to perform like experts, thereby maintaining service consistency.

5. Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics

Modern AI systems can analyze historical customer data to predict future behaviors and offer prescriptive actions. For example, AI can forecast customer churn and suggest personalized retention strategies.

Key Features:

Trend identification

Churn prediction

Customer lifetime value estimation

Product recommendation modeling

These analytics turn contact centers from reactive to proactive units that can anticipate customer needs and take preventive measures.

6. Automated Quality Monitoring

Quality assurance (QA) in traditional contact centers involves manual listening to a random sample of calls. AI changes this by automatically analyzing 100% of customer interactions for compliance, tone, and performance metrics.

Advantages:

Scalable and unbiased QA process

Immediate feedback loops

Identification of training opportunities

This ensures consistent service quality and helps businesses remain compliant with industry standards and regulations.

7. AI-Driven Self-Service

Customers increasingly prefer solving issues on their own. AI enables robust self-service solutions through intelligent FAQs, voice assistants, and dynamic help centers.

Core Components:

AI-curated knowledge bases

Interactive voice response (IVR) systems

Visual IVRs with dynamic menus based on customer behavior

These systems can deflect a significant volume of queries, saving time and reducing contact center costs.

8. Workforce Optimization (WFO)

AI enhances workforce optimization by analyzing call volumes, customer demand patterns, and agent performance to create optimized schedules and workloads.

Capabilities Include:

Forecasting peak interaction times

Automating shift scheduling

Identifying training needs through performance data

This ensures that the right number of agents with the right skills are available at the right time.

9. Multilingual Support

With global customer bases, multilingual support is essential. AI translation engines powered by NLP enable real-time language translation, allowing agents to assist customers in multiple languages.

Benefits:

Expanded market reach

Consistent support quality

Reduced need for native-speaking agents

Advanced systems even recognize regional dialects and slang, further enhancing communication accuracy.

10. Omnichannel AI Integration

Today’s customers expect consistent service across phone, email, chat, social media, and more. AI enables omnichannel support by centralizing data and ensuring continuity in customer interactions.

Features Include:

Unified customer profiles

Context-aware responses

Seamless channel transitions (e.g., chat to call)

This creates a cohesive customer experience and provides agents with the full context of past interactions, reducing redundancy and frustration.

Conclusion

AI is not just an enhancement to traditional contact center operations—it is a fundamental driver of their transformation. From handling repetitive tasks to offering deep insights into customer behavior, AI is redefining what’s possible in customer service.

By leveraging AI-powered features like chatbots, intelligent routing, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics, next-generation contact centers are achieving higher efficiency, better customer satisfaction, and lower operational costs. The focus is shifting from handling calls to delivering experiences, and AI is at the heart of that shift.

Businesses that invest in AI capabilities today will be better positioned to adapt to the growing demands of tomorrow’s customers. As AI continues to evolve, contact centers will become smarter, faster, and more human than ever before—setting a new standard for customer engagement in the digital era.

[nnctales]

What AI Cannot Do: AI Limitation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made remarkable strides in recent years, revolutionizing industries from healthcare to finance. However, despite its impressive capabilities, there are inherent AI limitation to what it can achieve. Understanding these limitations is crucial for effectively integrating AI into our lives and recognizing its role as a tool rather than a replacement for human…

[techdriveplay]

What Is the Future of Digital Marketing in the Age of AI?

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, it is dramatically altering the landscape of digital marketing. No longer just a futuristic concept, AI has become an essential tool that companies of all sizes are leveraging to streamline processes, improve customer experiences, and stay competitive. But what is the future of digital marketing in the age of AI, and how will these changes…

[abraham09derick]

Discover how AI agents revolutionize Customer Lifecycle Management with Docketry! Our AI-driven solutions offer seamless, personalized experiences from acquisition to advocacy, enhancing every stage of your customer journey. Dive into the stages and advantages of integrating AI in your Customer Lifecycle Management strategy.

[legendaryearthquakestranger]

AI technology and the future of humans

AI technology and the future of humans: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a futuristic concept to an integral part of our daily lives.

AI technology and the future of humans: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a futuristic concept to an integral part of our daily lives. From smart home devices to advanced data analytics, AI is revolutionizing various sectors and reshaping how we interact with technology. In this article, we’ll explore the rise of AI, its applications, and how it’s transforming our…

[aitrendingblogs]

AI in Customer Service: Enhancing User Experience and Satisfaction 

In the fast-paced digital world of today, customer service has progressed far beyond the channel of traditional phone calls or emails. AI has revolutionized the business scene as companies introduce newer and more advanced technologies with which to engage their customers. AI-enabled tools, including chatbots and generative AI, do not just speed up tasks, but they help to enrich the experience and satisfaction at unprecedented scale. 

The Rise of AI in Customer Service 

In their race to meet the rising demands from their customers, AI has become a game-changer. AI Development Companies function as trailblazers in the field, offering inventive services in line with individual customer service requirements. Chatbot development services are on the rise, and it is now possible for enterprises to offer instant support round the clock. 

Chatbots: The Ultimate Customer Service Companion 

Chatbots have changed the way companies process customer inquiries. These virtual assistants can be reached at any time without delay, helping resolve issues right away. Whether they are handling FAQs, providing product recommendations or helping with troubleshooting, chatbots speed up the customer service process, reducing the wait times and improving efficiency. 

Unlocking the Power of Generative AI 

By providing human-like reactions to complicated issues, Generative AI leapfrogs customer service to the next level. The natural language understanding, and context addition provided by generative AI helps to improve communication, making interaction with customers more humanized and interesting. AI Firms offering Generative AI development services to organizations create intricate virtual agents that make excellent User Experience. 

ChatGPT: Transforming Customer Support 

ChatGPT for customer service is helpful with its natural language processing features. ChatGPT learns all the intricacies of human communication and gives tailored responses, simulating human-like interactions for a customer experience, which is seamless. Whether through answering customer inquiries, solving complaints or gathering feedback, Chatbots make their users happier by providing personal and context-related responses. 

AI in Customer Service: Use Cases and Benefits 

The applications of AI in customer service have multiple facets and are widespread. From e-commerce and retail to health and finance sectors, services industries are improving customer engagement and satisfaction by using AI's ability to automate processes. Some notable use cases include: 

Personalized Recommendations: AI algorithms use customer data to create customized product recommendations that make the shopping process more convenient. 

Automated Ticketing Systems: AI-enabled ticketing systems allocate and classify customer inquiries so that the queries are promptly resolved. 

Proactive Support: AI utilizes customers' interactions, past and current, to render proactive assistance as well as precluding problems before they occur. 

Sentiment Analysis: AI uses customer feedback sentiment to identify the areas that need improvement, which in turn assists organizations in improving their products and services. 

The benefits of AI in customer service are undeniable. By leveraging AI-powered solutions, businesses can: 

Improve Response Times: AI-equipped chatbots give immediate answers, hence, decreasing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. 

Enhance Scalability: AI enables the businesses to manage large volumes of customer inquiries automatically, even during the peak hours. 

Increase Efficiency: AI automates routine work, enabling customer service staff to handle more complex matters and provide tailored help. 

Drive Customer Loyalty: Organizations which provide convenient and individualized customer care services can build deep and long-term relationships with customers, resulting in loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising. 

Conclusion 

With AI progress, the influence of AI in customer service becomes more profound. Biz4Group is an AI Development Company that has AI tools that not only make the user experience and satisfaction meaningful, but also, they have a competitive edge in the present internet market. Whether it is by means of chatbots for instant support or responsiveness to generative AI for individual interactions, the future of the customer service is blended with AI since it provides unforeseen levels of efficiency, scalability, and customer satisfaction. 

[koobruk]

Explore the transformative role of AI and chatbots in elevating customer experiences in the digital era. This article outlines how these technologies facilitate more efficient and personalized customer interactions, offering insights into their increasing adoption across industries. Learn how AI-driven chatbots can enhance communication, streamline customer service, and support effective marketing strategies to meet modern consumer expectations.

[atliqtechnologies]

AI in Customer Service: Enhancing Customer Experience in 2024

Customer experience is a pivotal parameter in any industry today, including the support you offer your customers before and after they buy and use your products or services. It helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. According to a CMSWire survey, 60% of CX (Customer Experience) leaders expect AI to have a transformative impact shortly. In addition, it has shown a hike in the use of various AI platforms, including Chatbots, Data Analytics, and Text generators, to 83%, 75%, and 71%, respectively.

When AI replaces any physical labor, it is necessary to have a proper integration strategy in your sector. To do so, the correct knowledge and understanding of AI becomes the forefront. Let us perceive what AI is in customer service, what factors affect it, and how you can utilize it for your industry.

Importance of customer service in industries

Customer service is often considered one of the main components of business success and can significantly impact a company’s reputation, customer satisfaction, and overall success. Here are some reasons highlighting the importance of customer service in different industries:

Customer Satisfaction: Excellent customer service ensures satisfaction and fosters customer loyalty. Satisfied customers contribute to the company’s revenue and attract new business through positive word-of-mouth recommendations.

Brand Reputation: A company’s reputation is closely related to the quality of its customer service. Practical support builds a positive image, differentiating the company from competitors and establishing trust in the market.

Customer Loyalty: Consistent and high-quality customer service leads to customer loyalty, a critical factor for long-term success. Loyal customers contribute significantly to a company’s revenue and are less likely to explore alternatives.

Problem Resolution: Efficient resolution of customer issues is at the forefront of customer service, turning potential dissatisfaction into a positive experience and showcasing the company’s commitment to customer well-being.

Competitive Advantage: Customer service becomes a key differentiator, offering added value beyond core offerings and attracting and retaining customers in competitive industries.

Customer Feedback: Customer service serves as a valuable feedback channel, providing insights into areas for improvement, new ideas, and market trends, enabling companies to adapt and stay ahead.

Repeat Business: Positive customer service experiences translate into repeat business, solidifying the company’s relationship with its customer base and contributing to sustained revenue and growth.

Reduced Negative Publicity: Effective customer service helps manage the company’s public image by preventing negative publicity through timely issue resolution and proactive communication.

Employee Morale: Positive interactions with customers boost employee ethics, as they see the tangible outcomes of their efforts in satisfied customers, leading to a motivated and content workforce.

Customer Retention Cost: Investing in customer service for satisfaction and retention is a cost-effective strategy, reducing the need for extensive marketing efforts to attract new customers and contributing to long-term business success.

What is AI in customer service?

In customer service, AI (Artificial Intelligence) refers to advanced technologies, algorithms, and machine learning integration in customer support processes. The goal is to enhance and streamline customer interactions, automate routine tasks, and provide more efficient and personalized services. Here are some essential aspects of AI in customer service:

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can engage with customers in real-time, answering frequently asked questions, providing information, and assisting with basic problem-solving. They use natural language processing to understand and respond to customer queries.

Automated Ticketing and Routing: AI may automate the ticketing system on client requests to the relevant support teams or resources through classification and assignment. It helps in prioritizing and handling customer issues more efficiently.

Predictive Analytics: AI analyzes customer data and behaviors to predict potential issues or trends. It enables companies to proactively address customer needs, anticipate problems, and personalize interactions based on historical data.

Personalization: AI algorithms can analyze customer preferences, purchase history, and behavior to offer personalized recommendations and experiences. This level of personalization enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Sentiment Analysis: AI can analyze customer interactions, such as emails, social media comments, or chat messages, to determine the sentiment behind the communication. It helps companies gauge customer satisfaction and identify potential issues before they escalate.

Voice Assistants and Speech Recognition: AI-driven voice assistants use speech recognition technology to understand and respond to customer inquiries over the phone. This technology can handle voice commands, provide information, and even resolve specific issues without human intervention.

Self-Service Portals: AI enables the development of self-service portals that allow customers to find information, troubleshoot problems, or perform transactions automatically. It reduces the need for direct human intervention in routine tasks.

Machine Learning for Issue Resolution: Machine learning algorithms can analyze historical data and learn from previous customer interactions. It allows AI systems to provide more accurate solutions and recommendations for problem resolution over time.

Automation of Routine Tasks: AI can automate routine and repetitive tasks, such as data entry or verification, freeing human agents to focus on more complex and value-added aspects of customer support.

24/7 Availability: AI-driven systems enable businesses to provide around-the-clock customer support, ensuring that customers can receive assistance at any time, regardless of the time zone or business hours.

Upon realizing the significance of artificial intelligence (AI), you may inquire about the precise tactics that can elevate the user experience in the customer service domain.

10 Ways That Can Enhance Customer Experience Using AI

Chatbots for Instant Support: To provide instant responses, Implement AI-powered chatbots on your website or messaging platforms for customer queries. Chatbots can efficiently handle routine inquiries, offering quick and accurate information, and seamlessly escalate more complex issues to human agents when needed.

Personalized Recommendations: Utilize AI algorithms to analyze customer data and behavior, providing product or service recommendations. Tailored suggestions enhance the customer experience by showing that you understand their preferences and needs.

Predictive Analytics for Proactive Support: Implement AI to anticipate customer needs and potential issues using predictive analytics. By analyzing historical data, AI can help businesses address concerns before they become significant problems, demonstrating a commitment to customer satisfaction.

Voice Assistants for Seamless Communication: Integrate AI-driven voice assistants to facilitate seamless communication. Voice recognition technology allows customers to interact with your services using natural language, enhancing accessibility and convenience.

Automated Customer Surveys: Use AI to automate gathering customer feedback through surveys. Analyzing survey responses with AI tools can provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.

Sentiment Analysis for Feedback: Employ sentiment analysis using AI to understand the emotional tone of customer communications, including emails, social media posts, and reviews. It helps in gauging customer satisfaction and identifying potential issues that require attention.

Dynamic FAQs and Knowledge Bases: Implement AI-driven systems. It ensures that customers get accurate and up-to-date information, reducing the need for direct support interactions.

Customer Journey Mapping with AI: Use AI to analyze and map the customer journey across various touchpoints. Understanding the customer’s interactions with your brand helps tailor experiences, identify pain points, and optimize the customer journey.

Automated Ticketing and Routing: Implement AI for automated ticketing and customer inquiries routing to the appropriate support teams. It streamlines the process, reduces response times, and directs customer issues to the most qualified agents.

Virtual Assistants for Self-Service: Assist customers in self-service interactions using AI-powered virtual assistants. Virtual assistants can guide users through processes, answer questions, and provide information, offering a convenient and efficient way to find solutions independently.

The future of AI in customer experience

The future of AI in customer experience holds exciting possibilities as technology continues to advance. Here are several trends and potential developments that may shape the future landscape:

Hyper-Personalization: AI will become even more sophisticated in analyzing customer data to provide hyper-personalized experiences. Businesses will leverage AI to understand individual preferences, behaviors, and needs, delivering tailored interactions across various touchpoints.

Emotional AI: Advances in emotional AI, or affective computing, will enable systems to recognize and respond to human emotions. AI-driven applications may better understand customer sentiments, leading to more empathetic and personalized interactions.

Enhanced Virtual Assistants: Virtual assistants will evolve to be more intelligent and capable of handling complex tasks. These assistants may seamlessly blend into customers’ lives, anticipating and assisting with a broader context.

AI-Enhanced Human Interactions: AI will augment human interactions rather than replace them. Customer service representatives may use AI tools to access real-time insights, suggestions, and information, more efficient and practical support.

Predictive Customer Service: AI algorithms will become more adept at predicting customer issues before they arise. Proactive customer service measures, such as preemptive problem-solving and personalized recommendations, will become more prevalent.

Conversational AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP): Conversational AI will improve, enabling more natural and context-aware interactions. Advanced NLP will allow AI systems to understand and respond to complex language nuances, making conversations with AI more intuitive for customers.

AI in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AI with AR and VR technologies will enhance immersive customer experiences. Virtual shopping assistants, AI-driven product demonstrations, and personalized AR experiences will become more common.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation: AI systems will continue to learn and adapt in real time. These systems will become more agile, adjusting to changing customer behaviors, preferences, and market dynamics, ensuring the customer experience remains relevant and engaging.

Blockchain for Data Security and Transparency: Blockchain technology may enhance data security and transparency in AI-driven customer experiences. It can build trust by providing more control over customer data and ensuring its integrity.

AI Ethics and Responsible AI: As AI plays an increasingly integral role in customer experiences, there will be a growing focus on ethical considerations. Businesses should prioritize responsible AI practices, addressing bias concerns, transparency, and accountability.

The future of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer experience is dynamic and determined by continuing technology developments, moral dilemmas, and a dedication to providing customers with better, more efficient interactions. Companies that deliberately adopt these trends can maintain their leadership position by offering outstanding client experiences.

Conclusion

AI technologies, like chatbots, predictive analytics, and virtual assistants, enhance customer service efficiency and satisfaction. As we look ahead to the future, the potential for AI to deliver hyper-personalized experiences, recognize and respond to human emotions, and continuously adapt to changing customer needs is exciting.

As we embrace the future of AI-driven customer experiences, AtliQ Technologies stands ready to empower your business with cutting-edge AI solutions. Elevate your customer service to new heights, enhance efficiency, and delight your customers with personalized interactions. Contact AtliQ today to explore how AI can transform your industry and set you to unparalleled success.

[futurestarrsus]

 The Evolution of AI in Customer Service: A 2024 Perspective 

AI is rapidly transforming customer service in 2024. With 70% of companies allocating more resources to AI investments, it's evident that AI is no longer just a luxury but a necessity for businesses. One striking example is the collaboration between Slalom and Virgin Voyages to introduce Vivi, a generative AI-powered digital human designed to enhance customer service.

[ojamajodoremisharp]

As June 17th inches closer and closer I REALLY hope this is the general tone of how things are gonna go from here (if the Steam page for it is any indication, at least)

[creolestudios]

Unleashing ChatGPT: Enhancing Customer Service Excellence: Witness the next level of customer service excellence with ChatGPT. Discover how advanced AI elevates support interactions, fostering customer delight.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

We bullied HP into a minor act of disenshittification

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me TORONTO TOMORROW (Feb 23) at Another Story Books, and in NYC on WEDNESDAY (26 Feb) with JOHN HODGMAN. More tour dates here.

Here in the darkest days of the enshittocene, enshittification is low quality and plentiful, but even in this target-rich environment, one company stands out as pioneering champions of enshittification: HP.

Every page in the enshittification playbook was printed in farcically expensive HP ink, and if you try to run a copy off for yourself, the printer will stop five times and force you to print a "calibration page" that is solid color from top to bottom, consuming about $10 worth of ink. Don't like it? Die mad.

HP drips with contempt for its customers. They make printer-scanners that won't scan unless all four ink cartridges are installed and haven't reached their best-before dates. They make printers that won't print black and white if your $50 magenta cartridge is low. They sell you printers with special half-full cartridges that need to be replaced pretty much as soon as the printer has run off its mandatory "calibration" pages. The full-serving ink you buy to replace those special demitasse cartridges is also booby-trapped – HP reports them as empty when they're still 20% full.

HP tricks customers into signing up for irrevocable subscriptions where you have to pay every month, whether or not you print, and if you exceed your subscription cap, the printer refuses to work, no matter how much ink is left. Now, about those HP ink subscriptions. When the company launched them, they offered a pot-sweetener meant to tempt in the wary: a one-price "lifetime subscription" that would let you print 15 pages every month, for so long as you owned the printer. But a couple years later, all those "free ink for life" customers got an email telling them that they were being migrated to a monthly payment plan, and if they didn't like it, they could eat shit and throw away their printers:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/06/horrible-products/#inkwars

HP pioneered the use of copyright law to prevent third parties from refilling ink cartridges or making their own compatible cartridges. Section 1201 of Bill Clinton's Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes it a felony to distribute a "circumvention device" to bypass access controls on a copyrighted work. By designing its cartridges do undertake a little cryptographic handshake with the printer to verify their "authenticity," HP ensures that anyone who markets a bypass device to let you choose which ink you use in your own damn printer is a felon, liable to five years in prison and a $500 fine under DMCA 1201.

Of course, nature finds a way. Hardware hackers have come up with some insanely cool bypass devices for HP printer cartridges, like these paper-thin, flexible, adhesive-backed circuit boards that wrap around third party cartridges, intercepting communications between the printer and a salvaged HP security chip:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/30/life-finds-a-way/#ink-stained-wretches

But HP fights back, and they fight dirty. For example, they periodically push out "security updates" for their printers that break compatibility with third party cartridges. To prevent HP customers from discovering and blocking these fake security updates, HP designs them to lie dormant for months after installation, until everyone has clicked "OK," and then all those Manchurian Printers wake up and betray their owners by refusing to use their ink:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer

All of this has allowed HP to monotonically raise – and raise – and raise – the price of printer ink to the point where it is now the most expensive fluid a civilian can purchase without a permit. Printer ink now runs over $10,000/gallon, meaning that you print out your grocery lists with colored water that costs more than the semen of a Kentucky Derby winner.

HP is truly the poster child for enshittification, and also, patient zero in the enshittification pandemic:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/18/ink-stained-wretches/#hache-pe

HP's enshittificatory impulses run wild. They hunt relentlessly for ways to make things worse for their customers in order to make things better for themselves. Last week, they came up with a humdinger, even by their own standards. They announced that people who called their customer service line would be subject to mandatory 15-minute waits, even if there was a rep who was free to talk with them:

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/20/hp_deliberately_adds_15_minutes/

During this mandatory 15-minute wait, customers would be bombarded with a recorded voice demanding that they solve their problems by consulting HP's website and its awful chatbots. In a competitive market, businesses can contain their customer service costs by making better products. In a monopolistic market like the printer racket, companies can deliberately introduce maddening antifeatures to their products, and then fob off the customers who reach such a peak of frustrated rage that they resort to calling a customer support number on chatbot that will use its spicy autocomplete to hallucinate nonexistent drivers and imaginary troubleshooting steps.

When I saw this, I thought, whelp, that's HP all right. Shameless.

But they're not entirely shameless. Within a day of Paul Kunert breaking the story in The Register, HP had reversed its policy, citing "feedback" (a corporate euphemism that means "fury"):

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/21/hp_ditches_15_minute_wait_time_call_centers/

This is a rare win for the forces of disenhittification and it deserves recognition. It turns out that in these Mangionean times, companies can actually be bullied into comporting themselves with marginally less sleaze and cruelty. It's especially noteworthy that this took place in the UK, where Prime Minister Kier Starmer has invited tech companies to pick Britons' pockets without fear of consequence, by firing the top competition regulator and replacing him with the former head of Amazon UK:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/22/autocrats-of-trade/#dingo-babysitter

Even in these degraded times, we can get these fuckers. When Sonos enshittifies its smart speakers, we can get its CEO fired:

https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/13/24342179/sonos-ceo-patrick-spence-resignation-reason-app

When Unity sticks its hand in the pockets of every game dev in the world, we can get its entire executive team shitcanned:

https://venturebeat.com/games/john-riccitiello-steps-down-as-ceo-of-unity-after-pricing-battle/

It doesn't always work. Enshittifiers rack up some Ws, and make bank even as they immiserate 500 million users (looking at you, Steve Huffman – the people have long memories):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Reddit_API_controversy

But if we can bully the psychotic monsters who populate HP's Executive Row out of their enshittificatory plans, then it's worth trying it every time.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/22/ink-spattered-pitchforks/#racehorse-semen

[carrotsofthepirabbean]

Shame y'all are being so negative about the murderbot trailer. It looks good and funny but so many people decided that it couldn't possibly be good cause they didn't like the casting so are now looking at everything with shit tinted lenses. Must suck to be so negative about everything

[vavuska]

Some years ago many of us believed Musk was some kind of genius who'll take us all to Mars.

A lot of us believed that buying Tesla cars would be one of the most effective solution to crimate crisis.

Some of us also thought that AI would be a massive benefit to humanity or at least some sort of harmless hobby.

Oh. We were so wrong!

Elon Musk’s disdain for the Democratic Party was never subtle, but in recent weeks his commentary on the upcoming US presidential election and his attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris have intensified, aided by a crude use of burgeoning artificial intelligence technology, with the help of the new supercomputer dubbed Colossus he bought for his latest artificial intelligence startup, xAI, founded in 2023!

Musk posted an AI-generated image on Twitter/X that depicted Harris as a communist, wearing a red uniform complete with hammer and sickle emblazoned hat and captioned the image with the false assertion, “Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one. Can you believe she wears that outfit!?”

The image, which appeared to violate Twitter/X’s policy on manipulated content, resembled an AI-generated image posted by Trump last month during the Democratic National Convention, envisioning Harris addressing a crowd under communist symbols.

Fan-generated AI images have also become the Republican candidate’s latest obsession.

AI images of Trump looking defiant now dominate right-wing social media platforms and accounts and have featured heavily in this election campaign, even used, by Trump and Musk to spread blatant lies and misinformation to their followers mainly on Twitter/X.

Musk’s post came a day after he shared another post with a screenshot suggesting that only “high status males” should be able to participate in government because women (and men with “low testosterone”) are not capable of critical thought. Musk posted it to his 196 million followers with the comment, “interesting observation.”

However, this would exclude a big part of Trump electors and Musk fans, since they actually believed to their lies and persevere in their false perception of reality and society.

Elon Musk is a child of Apartheid. He wasn’t radicalized, he was cultivated. View all his actions through that lense and it all makes sense.

Remember: Elon Musk said Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott is destroying western civilization by donating billions to charities for women, minorities and marginalized groups, so in response she doubled her donations.

Elon Musk just unmasked himself as the tech world's poster boy for fascism, openly endorsing a dystopian vision where only "high-status males" rule. His pathetic attempt to masquerade as a free speech advocate crumbles, revealing a dangerous elitist who sneers at democracy and equality.

Some links: X - X

[interestingsnippets]

It is unclear if SoftBank was deliberately seeking to evoke dystopia when it named this project, but “EmotionCancelling Voice Conversion Engine” has a bleakness that would turn George Orwell green.  The technology, developed at an AI research institute established by SoftBank and the University of Tokyo, is still in its R&D phase, and the early demo version suggests there is plenty more work ahead. But the principle is already sort of working, and it is as weird as you might expect. In theory, the voice-altering AI changes the rant of an angry human caller in real time so the person at the other end hears only a softened, innocuous version. The caller’s original vocabulary remains intact (for now; give dystopia time to solve that one). But, tonally, the rage is expunged.

AI is coming for our anger

[ninjapancake314]

Me last night, vibrating with fury as the neighbors continue to yell and blast music well past 10pm AGAIN: let me sleeep. make it stopppp.

Me this morning, after being woken by more loud music and yelling: okay, this means war.

*bakes French bread as obnoxious music continues for hours in the bg*

*puts on warpaint makeup and heads over to neighbors door with determination* hiiii I'm your neighbor 😊 I wanted to introduce myself and deliver some bread! Also could I ask a favor of you? 🥹🥖✨