---
title: "Navigating the AI storm: How to harness the power of AI without being crushed by it"
description: "Support leaders are being asked to preserve customer experience and operational performance while becoming AI experts and leading high-lift, cross-functional implementations. Before AI, support was often treated as a cost center; now executives may demand aggressive AI metrics without understanding the resources, risks, and work still required. The proposed response is to harness the change by learning AI deeply, testing multiple vendors through trials, choosing a durable partner, and defining benchmarks and phased implementation plans. Support leaders should also explain why deflecting 50% of inquiries does not justify cutting staffing by 50%, given coverage, service-level redundancy, growth, attrition, and work beyond direct inquiries. The article ultimately argues that visible ownership, concise project management, and weekly or bi-weekly executive updates can reposition support as a value driver rather than a cost center."
---

# Navigating the AI storm: How to harness the power of AI without being crushed by it

[Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom) · Chris Murray · Sep 18, 2025

**Type:** Explainer

## Summary

Support leaders are being asked to preserve customer experience and operational performance while becoming AI experts and leading high-lift, cross-functional implementations. Before AI, support was often treated as a cost center; now executives may demand aggressive AI metrics without understanding the resources, risks, and work still required. The proposed response is to harness the change by learning AI deeply, testing multiple vendors through trials, choosing a durable partner, and defining benchmarks and phased implementation plans. Support leaders should also explain why deflecting 50% of inquiries does not justify cutting staffing by 50%, given coverage, service-level redundancy, growth, attrition, and work beyond direct inquiries. The article ultimately argues that visible ownership, concise project management, and weekly or bi-weekly executive updates can reposition support as a value driver rather than a cost center.

## Context

The source describes how AI has changed expectations for support leaders. They remain responsible for customer experience, costs, retention, staffing, and representing customer needs, but must now lead AI adoption, communicate with executives, manage cross-functional work, and address potentially unrealistic performance expectations.

## Approach / What changed

The proposed approach is for support leaders to become AI subject matter experts, evaluate multiple vendors through trials, assess partners for fit and long-term commitment, establish benchmarks, and create a phased AI implementation plan. They should own the initiative visibly with project-management practices, tailored executive updates, regular communication, and data-driven comparisons with industry benchmarks.

## Takeaways

- Vendor demos may not reveal meaningful differences, so the source recommends running multiple trials and documenting involvement, resolution, and AI CSAT benchmarks.
- Deflecting 50% of inquiry volume does not automatically support reducing staffing by 50%; coverage hours, service-level redundancy, growth, attrition, and non-inquiry work still require capacity.
- Executive ownership requires regular, concise updates; the source recommends weekly or bi-weekly communication with a summary, three impact statements, and a project-plan link.

## FAQ

### Why shouldn’t support staffing fall in proportion to AI inquiry deflection?

The source says staffing may still be needed for operating-hour coverage, service-level agreement redundancy, company growth, and natural attrition. Support teams also perform substantial work outside direct customer inquiries.

### How should support leaders evaluate AI vendors?

They should move beyond demos by running trials with multiple vendors and defining effectiveness and quality metrics. They should also assess whether a vendor’s values, pace, post-sale attention, and long-term commitment fit the organization.

### How often should executives receive AI project updates?

The source recommends weekly or bi-weekly updates and says there should not be a week without the executive sponsor knowing the project’s status. Updates should be concise, with a brief summary, three impact statements, and a link to the project plan.

**Tags:** [AI](https://yomu.fyi/topic/ai), [Automation](https://yomu.fyi/topic/automation), [Customer Experience](https://yomu.fyi/topic/customer-experience)

- Source: [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/blog/navigating-the-ai-storm)
- Source URL: https://www.intercom.com/blog/navigating-the-ai-storm
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-09-17T14:13:11.068Z

[Read original post](https://www.intercom.com/blog/navigating-the-ai-storm)