Tony Bates is Chairman and CEO of Genesys. Bates joins Big Technology to discuss how AI agents will transform the way customers and companies interact with each other. Tune in to hear how businesses will operate when personal AI agents communicate directly with corporate agents, and why Bates believes humans will remain essential even as more routine interactions are automated. We also cover the rise of the hybrid workforce, what great customer experience looks like in an agentic world, and why Bates thinks fears of a coming SaaSpocalypse are overblown. Hit play for a forward-looking conversation about AI agents, the future of work, and what enterprise software will look like in the AI era. This is interview is brought to you by Genesys. To learn more about our Brand Spotlight program, write to bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com. Chapters: 0:00 How AI agents will change customer experience 1:11 Why customer experience matters more than ever 4:46 Creating “magic moments” for customers 6:56 How AI changes the way customers interact with companies 8:30 The five levels of AI experience orchestration 12:30 When your AI agent talks to a company’s AI agent 14:36 Can consumers overwhelm businesses with AI agents? 17:14 Why today’s AI interface is still primitive 18:36 Does the “bot experience” matter? 24:05 Will AI replace humans in customer service? 27:54 The hybrid workforce and high-value human conversations 30:36 Is the “SaaS apocalypse” actually coming?