AI elevates service but humans sustain empathy

31% of Singaporeans expect to use agentic AI in their daily lives within the next year.

As businesses adopt AI at unprecedented speed, executives warn that technology alone cannot sustain strong customer relationships. The future of customer service, they say, hinges on blending automation with irreplaceable human empathy.

Shashank Sharma, Senior Director of Digital Experience for Southeast Asia and Korea at Adobe, said empathy continues to define high-quality customer interactions. “[Human empathy] is what transforms a simple transaction into a meaningful experience,” he said. While AI delivers speed and personalisation, it “operates on patterns, not on principles, values or emotional intelligence.”

Sharma noted that customers increasingly seek human reassurance when issues become sensitive or complex. “Trust at its core is built through empathy, not just efficiency,” he said. Adobe research shows that 31% of Singaporeans expect to use agentic AI in their daily lives within the next year, underscoring the need for human-guided and responsible AI deployment.

For Simon Ma, Managing Director, Asia at Freshworks, the differentiator is emotional interpretation. “Humans can interpret body language, the tone and the nonverbal cues that we need to respond to emotions of today's customers,” he said. Although speed is essential, he stressed that customers also expect genuine empathy. “Empathetic agents resolve frustrations, they prevent churn, and they build loyalty.”

Both leaders agree that hybrid models—where AI handles routine tasks and humans manage nuanced interactions—deliver the strongest results. Ma said automation frees agents to focus on emotionally complex situations. “The timely handoffs from AI to humans are critical to avoid customers feeling stuck in chatbot loops,” he said.

Training is emerging as the next critical frontier. Sharma said connected data and integrated workflows help agents use AI confidently, reinforcing that AI should “support human judgment, not replace it.” Continuous monitoring and feedback help detect bias and improve accuracy.

Ma emphasised culture and capability building. Agents need to understand “both the capabilities and the limitations of AI,” he said. Hands-on training, feedback, and smooth AI-to-human handoffs prevent customer frustration, while tools like Freddy AI insights give leaders visibility to improve response times and capacity.