The AI Arms Race: Uncovering the Billion-Dollar Shift in Contact Centers
Wed Feb 04 2026
Rhys Fisher sits down with James Hughes, VP of Solutions at Sabio, to explore what’s really happening behind the scenes of AI’s rapid rise in the contact center world.
With more than two decades of industry experience, James brings a clear, grounded perspective on where AI creates true business value. Together, they dig into the financial impact, the operational challenges, and why most organizations still struggle to turn AI hype into real transformation.
AI is reshaping nearly every part of the enterprise, but in the contact center, it’s unlocking one of the biggest competitive advantages James Hughes has seen in 25 years.
In this candid conversation, Rhys and James unpack the gap between AI’s promises and its real-world execution – from feature overload and platform migrations to the rising trend of buyers’ regret.
James also reveals Sabio’s outcomes-based AI model and walks through their Inform, Transform, Perform framework, designed to help CX leaders cut through noise and focus on measurable business results.
Key discussion points:
Why companies can now decouple CX costs from revenue more effectively than ever How AI deployments fail when organizations chase features instead of transformation Sabio’s outcomes-based AI model: customers only pay when value is proven The blurry line between helpful personalization and intrusive data use Identify your top three AI use cases that can deliver meaningful ROI.
Start with a data-led “Inform” assessment before making technology decisions.
Explore outcomes-based AI models to reduce organizational risk.
Subscribe to CX Today for more interviews with CX innovators.
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Rhys Fisher sits down with James Hughes, VP of Solutions at Sabio, to explore what’s really happening behind the scenes of AI’s rapid rise in the contact center world. With more than two decades of industry experience, James brings a clear, grounded perspective on where AI creates true business value. Together, they dig into the financial impact, the operational challenges, and why most organizations still struggle to turn AI hype into real transformation. AI is reshaping nearly every part of the enterprise, but in the contact center, it’s unlocking one of the biggest competitive advantages James Hughes has seen in 25 years. In this candid conversation, Rhys and James unpack the gap between AI’s promises and its real-world execution – from feature overload and platform migrations to the rising trend of buyers’ regret. James also reveals Sabio’s outcomes-based AI model and walks through their Inform, Transform, Perform framework, designed to help CX leaders cut through noise and focus on measurable business results. Key discussion points: Why companies can now decouple CX costs from revenue more effectively than ever How AI deployments fail when organizations chase features instead of transformation Sabio’s outcomes-based AI model: customers only pay when value is proven The blurry line between helpful personalization and intrusive data use Identify your top three AI use cases that can deliver meaningful ROI. Start with a data-led “Inform” assessment before making technology decisions. Explore outcomes-based AI models to reduce organizational risk. Subscribe to CX Today for more interviews with CX innovators.