More data won't make your AI smarter (here's what will)

Summary

Twilio research found that 99% of companies report something blocks them from understanding customers, with 48% citing connecting data across channels as the top obstacle. The problem isn’t data collection, which has succeeded, but the missing data activation layer that makes context usable in the eight seconds an AI agent has before a customer gives up. Twilio’s solution involves three elements: continuity across channels, real-time profile freshness, and retrieval of relevant history mid-conversation. Twilio Conversations treats touchpoints as a single lifecycle, Conversation Memory syncs new details in real time, and Conversation Intelligence surfaces approved documents alongside history. Twilio recommends starting small by picking one handoff where customers repeat themselves and making context survive it, rather than feeding the AI more data.

Takeaways

1. 1

   Connecting data across channels is the top obstacle for 48% of companies, and it’s the fastest-moving priority this year, up from third place last year.

2. 2

   74% of consumers repeat themselves to AI agents, and 71% abandon conversations when the agent fails to recognize them, making recognition non-negotiable.

3. 3

   Twilio recommends starting with one handoff where customers repeat themselves and making context survive it, rather than adding more data sources.

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