Newer support agents got faster and better. The veterans barely gained — and their quality dipped slightly.
A study by Brynjolfsson, Li, and Raymond, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2023, followed 5,172 customer-support agents as an AI assistant was rolled out in stages. Productivity rose 15 percent on average. Newer agents improved in both speed and quality. The most experienced agents gained a little speed and lost a little quality.¹ In effect, the tool passed the know-how of the best agents on to the newest.
Talent Takeaway
Newer colleagues often gain most from AI. Our most experienced people can take on a different role: shaping how the tool is used and feeding their know-how into it.
¹ Brynjolfsson, E., Li, D., & Raymond, L. (2023). Generative AI at work. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w31161
Further reading: Dell'Acqua, F., et al. (2023). Navigating the jagged technological frontier. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4573321
