By 2027, Gartner expects 30 percent of Fortune 500 companies to consolidate post-purchase tasks such as extension, service, success, and renewal into a unified customer service role. According to the study, generative artificial intelligence promises to automate much of the functions of customer service agents, creating employee capabilities that will allow customer service and support leaders to experiment with new approaches to talent management.

“As the lines between after-sales services begin to blur, service and sales leaders will compete for the right to have a relationship with customers,” said Emily Potoski, senior research director in Gartner’s Customer Care and Support practice. “Service and support leaders must act quickly to maintain their influence and prevent their function from being replaced by another.”

Gartner notes that this comes at a time when generative artificial intelligence is accelerating the shift to self-service, and some organizations are experimenting with hiding or completely closing their support channels. In response to the growing consumer backlash against AI-generated services, Gartner predicts that the EU will adjust its consumer protection laws to require organizations to provide access to a customer service representative.