STAMFORD, Conn., AUGUST 26, 2026
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Gartner Survey Finds AI Spending by Customer Service Leaders Has Surged by 38%, Despite Overall Service and Support Function Budgets Rising by Just 2%
GenAI Chatbots, Voicebots and Agentic AI Platforms Emerge as the Technologies Expected to Deliver the Greatest Future Value
AI spending by customer service leaders has surged despite near-stagnant overall budget growth for customer service and support functions, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.
Customer service organizations are prioritizing technology investments as AI rapidly reshapes the function. A Gartner survey of 199 service and support leaders conducted in April through May 2026 revealed that spending on AI has increased by 38%, while overall service and support function budgets have grown just 2%.Â
“To fund ambitious AI initiatives, leaders are increasingly redirecting spending away from labor and overhead and instead toward technology. The challenge is ensuring those investments produce measurable business value,” said Kim Hedlin, Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. “Hype alone doesn't make a technology the right solution to real business problems.”
GenAI Chatbots, Voicebots and Agentic AI Platforms Poised to Deliver the Greatest Value
While service and support leaders report that live chat and phone remain their most valuable customer service channels today, they expect AI-powered channels and platforms to drive the greatest value in the years ahead. Looking ahead two years, respondents predict GenAI chatbots will become the most valuable customer service channel, followed by live chat and GenAI voicebots (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: The Most Valuable Customer Service and Support Technologies in Two Years’ Time
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Source: Gartner (August 2026)
The research also identified three technology platforms expected to deliver substantially greater value to customer service and support organizations over the next two years:
No-code agent builders
Communications platforms as a service (CPaaS)
Customer identity and access management (IAM)
“Organizations are moving beyond isolated AI use cases and toward connected ecosystems of AI agents,” said Daniel O’Sullivan, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & and Support practice. “The technologies that will create the most value are those that help organizations build, deploy and govern these agents securely and at scale.”
Additional Insights Available
Gartner clients can read more in the report “2026 Technology Trends Report for Customer Service and Support”. Further information is available in the associated infographic.
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About Gartner Customer Service & Support Conference
Gartner Customer Service & Support Conference is taking place November 4-5, 2026, in Denver, providing customer service and support leaders with actionable advice about the trends, tools and emerging technologies they need to deliver business results in an AI-driven world. Gartner analysts address the biggest opportunities, challenges and priorities in the market today, including the latest advancements in AI , innovative strategies that are transforming customer experience, streamlining support channels and harnessing data to drive results to shape the future of their organizations. Follow news and updates coming out of the conference on the Gartner Newsroom and on X and LinkedIn using #GartnerCSS.
About Gartner for Customer Service & Support Leaders
The customer service and support function is vital to maintaining customer loyalty and influencing brand perceptions. Gartner for Customer Service & Support Leaders provides indispensable insights, advice and tools needed to achieve service and support leaders’ mission-critical priorities, specifically improving the customer experience while managing costs; designing an optimal service channel strategy; measuring and reducing customer effort; and how to hire, develop and retain high-potential frontline talent.
Follow news and update from the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice on X and LinkedIn using #GartnerCSS. Members of the media can find additional information and insights in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Newsroom.
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Gartner
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Gartner
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