91% of companies are under pressure to implement AI in customer service in 2026, Gartner says

Artificial intelligence is no longer an experimental project and has taken a central position in the customer service strategies of companies. According to a survey by Gartner, 91% of global customer service leaders say they are under direct pressure from executive leadership to implement AI in 2026.

The survey also shows that 80% of organizations plan to transform service functions in the coming months, while 84% intend to expand the skills required of human agents to work together with intelligent systems.

For Mario Marchetti, CEO Latam of Sinch, the market is now entering a more mature stage of conversational AI, where integration between channels and quality of experience become a priority. “Companies have realized that just automating responses is not enough for current challenges. The consumer expects context, continuity and customization in any channel, be it WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, voice or proprietary applications”, Marchetti says.

According to the executive, the pressure for the adoption of AI is directly linked to the change in consumer behavior, which has come to demand immediate responses and frictionless journeys. “The current customer no longer separates human and digital service.He simply expects communication to work, regardless of the channel used”, he says.
 

Sinch's assessment is that the advancement of AI should accelerate investments in omnichannel platforms and conversational messaging, especially in sectors such as banking, retail, healthcare and telecommunications.“The big challenge for companies in 2026 will not only be to implement AI, but to ensure that it can operate safely, context and integration at the” scale, says Marchetti.

The Gartner study also points out that organizations are prioritizing initiatives related to improving customer experience, intelligent automation and operational efficiency. “We are seeing an important transition: messaging is no longer just a contact channel and becomes a strategic infrastructure of relationship”, concludes the CEO.