Thekabarnews.com—Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from assisting customer service workers to performing some of their jobs. This change is happening as major companies deploy chatbots and voice agents capable of resolving routine inquiries around the clock.

The shift accelerated in July 2026 when Uber Technologies confirmed it had cut 10% of positions in its customer service operations. The restructuring affected its community operations team, which supports riders and drivers.

An Uber spokesperson said the company was working “to simplify operations, strengthen in-person collaboration, and continue to embrace AI,” according to Bloomberg Law.

Modern AI agents can answer frequently asked questions, identify customer intent, process common requests and route sensitive cases to human specialists.

Unlike traditional menu-based chatbots, generative AI can maintain more natural conversations and use information from several business systems.

Companies are adopting the technology because it can shorten waiting times and operate continuously. It reduces the cost of handling large volumes of repetitive inquiries.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, or CBA, offers a clear example. Its AI orchestration platform decides whether an inquiry should go to another automated system or a human specialist.

In May 2026, the bank resolved approximately 84.6% of its self-service messaging interactions entirely within the messaging channel, iTnews reported.

The automation has not produced a straightforward replacement of people.

CBA initially placed 45 customer service positions under review after introducing an AI voice bot in 2025.

It later reversed the decision, admitting that its assessment “did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations.” It stated that the roles were not redundant.

Employees were allowed to remain, seek redeployment or leave voluntarily.

Microsoft is also helping companies automate customer support through Copilot Studio and Dynamics 365. It has rejected claims that its latest company-wide layoffs were direct AI replacements.

Microsoft announced 4,800 job cuts on July 6, 2026, mainly in its commercial and Xbox businesses.

“I also want to be direct that the roles eliminated today are not being replaced by AI,” Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said.

She acknowledged that AI “can now automate some of the tasks we do every day.” This illustrates how AI is changing workforce requirements even when it is not the stated reason for specific layoffs. Microsoft published the statement on its official blog.

Evidence suggests that customer support is being redesigned rather than eliminated entirely. For example, a Gartner survey found that 85% of service leaders were expanding human agents’ responsibilities. Only 31% had implemented or planned AI-driven frontline layoffs through the first quarter of 2027.

“The real advantage comes from combining AI efficiency with human judgment, empathy and experience,” Gartner analyst Eric Keller said in the April 2026 survey.

The implications are significant for Indonesia, where generative AI adoption among skilled workers reached 92% in early 2026. This information comes from the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry.

The emerging model is therefore hybrid: AI handles speed and volume. People manage disputes, vulnerable customers and conversations requiring empathy or accountability.

The companies most likely to succeed will not simply replace workers, but combine automation with trained human judgment.