The challenging meet between human and artificial knowledge. A systems-based view of its influences on firms-customers interaction

Purpose This paper aims to recall the attention on a key challenge for customer relationship management related to the role of human agents in the management of the “switch point” for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency in a customer-machine conversation. Design/methodology/approach This study contributes to the discussion about the firms’ approach to artificial intelligence (AI) in frontline interactions under the conceptual umbrella provided by knowledge management studies. Findings This paper provides a theoretical model for clarifying the role of human intelligence (HI) in AI-based frontline interactions by highlighting the relevance of the actors’ subjectivity in the dynamics and perceptions of customer-machine conversations. Originality/value An AI-HI complementarity matrix is proposed in spite of the still dominant replacement view.