Zendesk launches Specialized AI Agents for small business workflows

Shashi Upadhyay, Zendesk’s President of Product, Engineering, and AI, said the era of generic AI agents is over and that specialists can better serve specific industries. Jeff Otto, CMO of Riskified, called the agents an "AI‑first platform redefining retail service at scale." While the potential benefits include faster service, lower costs and reduced fraud losses, Zendesk cautions that adopting the agents may require an initial investment of time, infrastructure and employee training, and that businesses should monitor performance to maintain personalized care.