EAC594 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE EAC594 Artificial Intelligence in Customer Support

EAC594 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

EAC594

Artificial Intelligence in Customer Support

Advances in technology have reached the point where businesses now can opt in many instances of customer support to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools instead of human skills. Indeed, many companies have turned to chatbots, human purchasing pattern trackers, task automation, natural language understanding (NLUs), wait time and workflow analyzers, next-action determiners, speech and writing analytics, and message optimizers to improve their interactions with customers (Forbes Business Council, 2021).

While some would argue that using AI takes jobs away from skilled and knowledge workers, companies argue that these tools often work in the background and make human work easier. AI, it could be argued, saves on costs and money by optimizing workflows. And AI can always be “on” or available, increasing convenience for those who make use of the tools.

For this assignment, you and your team members will consider the use of AI for a specific type of business or service in your career field. Make the case for its effectiveness or ineffectiveness especially in terms of interpersonal and business-related communication and collaborative work.

Research Focus

Investigate one or two types of AI, looking at the uses to determine its suitability, overall, for business operations and communication in a specific business type.

Gather information about the AI tool(s) and describe the characteristics and features

Discuss what human tasks it replaces (if any) or which workflow it optimizes

Discuss the disadvantages and advantages of the AI in a particular business setting—give specific examples of how it is used and what it does

Can you recommend the use of AI in the particular case-use you have research and discussed? Why or why not?

Convey your findings in a slide report

OUTCOMES

By completing this assignment, you will develop the ability to:

Work co-operatively in a team to assign and organise tasks, schedule meetings, manage time, problem-solve, and complete work assigned

Conduct primary and secondary research, evaluate research materials, and synthesise information

Prepare a slide report incorporating summarized, quoted, and synthesized information, documenting the research using the accepted standards (NOTE: a slide report is not a presentation)

Table 1. Project Milestones

Document

DUE DATE

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Project Plan (15%)

Week 8

To Be Confirmed

Outline (10%)

Point-form only

Week 10

To Be Confirmed

Formal/slide Report (25%)

Week 13

To Be Confirmed

Document Structure—final report

Organize your document as follows using a slide report format:

Academic Integrity Pledge (attached with the project in Blackboard)

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Background

Details/Findings

Conclusion and Recommendations

References (APA style)

Refer to the Blackboard resources and class notes to help you structure the slide report. Use graphic aids to present quantitative and some comparative data. ALL SOURCES MUST BE CITED.

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!

AVOID PLAGIARISM: All information that is not common knowledge must be carefully documented; a list of references is mandatory.

AI-generated content must be cited and included it the list of References.

Your focus in all components of this project should be on the analysis and synthesis, not the simple copying, of the information you collect from written and oral sources–and chatbots.

Where you use research information to support your arguments, whether it be direct quote or paraphrases, use APA documentation style to document it in text where sources are used and in your list of references. (It is not acceptable to just provide a list of references at the end of the report without indicating your sources in the report!)

Safe Assignment will be used to check your report.

Any incidence of plagiarism will result in an automatic grade of “0” on the assignment and the document will be sent to the Academic Honesty Committee for review. Safeguard academic integrity in your team!

Team Management Policy

All team members must participate fully in the research, development, editing, and writing phases of the project. That’s why a project plan is completed prior to the start of the project work. To discourage social loafing, this project includes the “You’re Fired” option as a team management tool.

Team members may “fire” other team members who do not fulfill their responsibilities to the team. While you cannot fire a team member due to interpersonal conflict, which you must learn to resolve, you may fire a team member if they do not participate in scheduled online meetings or do not complete the work assigned by the group.

You will have to document the situation, so keep copies of email/chat communications. You will also have to provide the team member a chance to meet with the team and to do the work required. To do this, send an email explaining the action required and give a reasonable timeframe. Send a copy of the email to your professor. If the team member does not do the work or attend the meeting, send a follow up email firing the group member (send a copy to your professor). Students fired from a group must follow up with the professor.

References

Forbes Business Council. (2021, July 22). 15 Ways to Leverage AI in Customer Service. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/07/22/15-ways-to-leverage-ai-in-customer-service/?sh=755b075a20bb

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Modified by R. Potter December 2022

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