February 10, 2026
AI Demand in CX Shows No Sign of Slowing at 8×8, For Now
Investment in AI-powered customer experience technology continues to rise, as organisations look to improve responsiveness and manage increasing service expectations. According to 8×8, enterprises are “doubling down” on AI to improve responsiveness and streamline customer engagement, reflecting a broader shift in how organisations are approaching customer service. Recent Q3 2026 results from CX vendor 8×8 were up six million dollars compared to the same period last year.
This momentum is also evident in adoption figures. Customer contracts for the 8×8 Intelligent Customer Assistant, which supports digital and voice self-service as well as AI auto attendants, rose by 70 percent year over year and 20 percent quarter over quarter. This increase has played a significant role in fuelling growth across 8×8’s AI based customer experience offerings.
Usage is accelerating just as quickly. AI interactions across digital, voice and auto attendant channels climbed by nearly 110 percent year over year. Voice AI is proving particularly popular, with interactions up 212 percent year over year and accounting for more than 86 percent of all AI interactions in the quarter.
‘Outcomes Over Automation’
Hunter Middleton, Chief Product Officer at 8×8, says the appeal lies in delivering measurable value rather than novelty. Customers, he explains, are looking for “AI that improves outcomes, not just automation for its own sake”. Middleton believes 8×8’s real time intelligence and omnichannel capabilities allow organisations to “meet rising expectations without adding complexity”, helping teams deliver better experiences without increasing operational overhead.
Recent customer wins illustrate how this focus is resonating across sectors. A leading US based veterinary care provider selected the 8×8 Platform for CX to support proactive engagement and collaboration. In the UK, a large healthcare provider chose 8×8 Contact Center alongside 8×8 Professional Services, citing the strength and consistency of partner relationships and collaboration as key factors in its decision.
Expanding the CX and Retail Portfolio
Product innovation continues alongside rising adoption. One of the latest additions is 8×8 Retail Nationwide, a solution designed specifically for frontline retail environments. Integrated with mobile device management for secure large-scale deployment, it supports shared handheld devices for fast onboarding and enables centralised remote configuration across stores, head office and warehouses. The launch expands the company’s retail portfolio, which already includes 8×8 Social Connect, 8×8 Aftersale Assist and 8×8 Sales Assist.
Agent experience has also been enhanced through Customer 360, which turns the 8×8 Agent Workspace into a unified customer intelligence hub. Agents gain immediate access to interaction history, customer profiles and AI driven insights such as sentiment and topic detection, allowing them to resolve issues faster without switching between multiple tools. At the Contact Centre Expo in London in November, 8×8 outlined the importance of offering seamless switching between channels.
Updates to 8×8 Work
Several updates have also been introduced to 8×8 Work. New meeting controls support large scale virtual events including town halls and webinars, giving presenters greater control over speakers and participants. A new WCAG compliant site map improves accessibility and simplifies navigation, enabling users to find features more quickly. Enhancements to ring group management give individuals more control over availability while providing real time analytics to help teams optimise coverage. In addition, a new user status report delivers live availability data to support more informed staffing decisions.
Further updates include native SIP support for Mitel desk phones and a new ISO IEC 27018 certification, strengthening personal data protection across the 8×8’s CX platform. These follow a wave of new AI-powered capabilities added in August last year.
How Long Will Momentum Continue?
The longer-term outlook for AI in CX remains a key question. Adoption has been rising steadily for several years. CallMiner’s annual CX Landscape Report found that 96 percent of global contact centre and CX leaders now view AI implementation as a core strategy, up from 87 percent in 2024. The report also shows that 80 percent of organisations have at least partially implemented AI, compared with 62 percent the previous year.
Viewed in this context, continued momentum for AI driven CX vendors is unsurprising. The wider economic picture remains uncertain, however, and concerns about an AI bubble persist. Google’s pledge to invest up to 185 billion dollars in AI sends a powerful signal of confidence in the technology’s near-term potential, while Nvidia’s decision to downplay its 100-billion-dollar commitment to OpenAI suggests greater caution elsewhere. Ultimately, the longevity of this growth will hinge on whether AI continues to deliver meaningful productivity gains. Unfortunately, job losses may prove to be one of the clearest indicators of how effective these technologies really are.
