In the hyper-competitive digital landscape of 2025, using artificial intelligence for customer service has become commonplace in providing exceptional, instantaneous, and personalized customer support. Businesses are rapidly moving beyond traditional support models, leveraging AI to automate responses, gain deeper insights into customer behavior, and empower human agents to handle complex issues with greater efficiency. This strategic implementation of artificial intelligence for customer service is redefining customer expectations and setting new standards for satisfaction and loyalty.

The Transformative Role of Artificial Intelligence for Customer Service
Before diving into the specific tools, it’s crucial to understand the ways in which artificial intelligence for customer service is actively revolutionizing the industry. These applications go far beyond simple chatbots, creating a sophisticated ecosystem of support.
- 24/7 Automated Support: AI-powered chatbots and voicebots can handle a high volume of common customer queries around the clock without human intervention. This application of artificial intelligence for customer service ensures that customers receive instant answers to questions like “Where is my order?” or “What are your business hours?” at any time of day.
- Intelligent Ticket Routing: AI algorithms can analyze incoming support tickets via email, social media, or web forms. By understanding the ticket’s content, sentiment, and urgency, the system automatically categorizes and routes it to the most appropriate agent or department, significantly reducing resolution times. This is a core efficiency gain from artificial intelligence for customer service.
- Agent Augmentation: AI doesn’t just replace agents; it empowers them. Real-time assistance tools can listen to conversations and suggest relevant knowledge base articles, provide canned responses, or offer compliance checklists to agents. This form of artificial intelligence for customer service acts as a co-pilot, improving agent performance and consistency.
- Sentiment Analysis: By analyzing the text and tone of a customer’s message, AI can accurately gauge their emotional state (e.g., frustrated, happy, confused). This allows support systems to prioritize angry customers or tailor responses to be more empathetic, a key feature of advanced artificial intelligence for customer service.
- Predictive Analytics: AI models can analyze historical data to predict future customer behavior, such as potential churn or the likelihood of an issue escalating. This foresight enables businesses to proactively reach out with solutions, turning a potential negative experience into a positive one through the smart use of artificial intelligence for customer service.
The 14 Top Tools for Artificial Intelligence for Customer Service
Now, let’s explore ten of the leading platforms that provide powerful artificial intelligence for customer service capabilities.
1. Zendesk
Zendesk is a giant in the customer service software industry, and its suite of AI tools is a testament to its leadership. Its approach to artificial intelligence for customer service is deeply integrated into its help desk, focusing on both automation and agent empowerment. Key features include the Answer Bot, which resolves common questions across channels, and AI-powered intelligence that suggests macros, predicts customer satisfaction, and triages tickets automatically.
- Pricing: Plans with AI features typically start with the Suite Growth plan at $89 per agent/month (billed annually). Advanced AI is available in higher-tier plans like Suite Professional and Enterprise.
- Prominent Customers: Slack, Uber, Tesco, Instacart.
- Example of Use: A subscription box company uses Zendesk’s artificial intelligence for customer service. When a customer emails “I want to cancel my subscription,” the AI understands the intent, automatically replies with a link to the self-service cancellation page, and creates a ticket tagged as “Cancellation Request.” If the customer replies with a more complex issue, the ticket is automatically escalated to a human agent with the full conversation history.
2. Intercom
Intercom brands itself as a “Conversational Relationship Platform,” and its use of artificial intelligence for customer service is central to that mission. Its custom AI bot, Fin, is designed to have more natural, human-like conversations to resolve complex queries by drawing directly from a company’s knowledge base and support content. Intercom also uses AI for proactive engagement, targeting users with messages based on their in-app behavior.
- Pricing: Pricing is customized based on usage and features. Plans with Fin AI, like the “Pro” plan, start around $74 per month, with costs scaling based on the number of “people reached.”
- Prominent Customers: Atlassian, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta.
- Example of Use: A SaaS company leverages Intercom’s artificial intelligence for customer service on its website. When a user spends more than 90 seconds on the pricing page without taking action, the Fin chatbot proactively pops up and asks, “Hi there! I see you’re looking at our plans. Can I help you compare them or explain our features?” This proactive support helps convert hesitant prospects into customers.
3. Freshdesk (by Freshworks)
Freshdesk’s AI engine, Freddy AI, provides a comprehensive set of tools for support automation. Freddy’s capabilities in artificial intelligence for customer service include AI-powered chatbots for web and messaging, email bot automation to handle repetitive queries, and agent-facing AI that suggests ticket fields and provides canned responses. A key differentiator is its ability to detect customer frustration in emails and automatically escalate the ticket’s priority.
- Pricing: An all-in-one “Omnichannel” plan including most AI features starts at $29 per agent/month (billed annually). More advanced Freddy AI features are in higher tiers.
- Prominent Customers: Honda, Decathlon, Pearson, American Express.
- Example of Use: A large e-commerce retailer uses Freddy AI, a powerful form of artificial intelligence for customer service. A customer initiates a chat to return an item. The AI bot asks for the order number, verifies the item is eligible for return based on the purchase date, generates a pre-paid shipping label, and emails it to the customer—all without any human agent involvement.
4. Ada
Ada is a specialized, automation-first platform dedicated to building powerful AI chatbots. Unlike help desk software with AI add-ons, Ada’s entire focus is on creating a sophisticated chatbot that can handle a high percentage of inquiries from start to finish. Its use of artificial intelligence for customer service is about deflecting as many tickets as possible by integrating with company databases and third-party apps to perform personalized actions.
- Pricing: Pricing is custom and based on usage and integrations. It is generally geared towards mid-market and enterprise companies looking for robust automation.
- Prominent Customers: Square, Zoom, Shopify, Meta.
- Example of Use: A telecommunications company employs Ada as its primary tool for artificial intelligence for customer service. A customer messages their support line with “My internet is down.” The Ada chatbot initiates a diagnostic sequence, asking the customer to check their router lights, walking them through a power cycle, and even running a line test by integrating with the company’s backend systems, resolving the majority of outage issues automatically.
5. Salesforce Service Cloud (Einstein)
For businesses already embedded in the Salesforce ecosystem, Service Cloud with Einstein is the ultimate solution for artificial intelligence for customer service. Einstein AI is woven into the fabric of the platform, offering features like Einstein Bots for conversational support, Einstein Case Classification to automatically populate ticket fields, and Einstein Article Recommendations to surface relevant help articles for agents.
- Pricing: Service Cloud plans start at $25 per user/month, but Einstein AI features are included in the “Unlimited” plan at $300 per user/month or as add-ons to lower-tier plans.
- Prominent Customers: Toyota, T-Mobile, Southwest Airlines, Adidas.
- Example of Use: A financial services firm uses Salesforce Einstein for its artificial intelligence for customer service. An incoming email with the phrase “unauthorized transaction” is immediately analyzed by Einstein. The AI classifies the case as “High Priority – Fraud,” routes it to the specialized fraud prevention team, and simultaneously brings up the customer’s complete CRM profile for the agent to review instantly.
6. Gorgias
Gorgias is a help desk built specifically for e-commerce stores, particularly those on Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. Its implementation of artificial intelligence for customer service is laser-focused on online retail. It uses machine learning to automate responses to common e-commerce questions like “Where’s my order? (WISMO),” “How do I make a return?,” and more, by pulling live data directly from the e-commerce platform.
- Pricing: Plans are based on ticket volume, starting from a “Basic” plan at $50/month which includes 300 tickets.
- Prominent Customers: Steve Madden, OLIPOP, TUSHY, Princess Polly.
- Example of Use: An online sneaker store uses Gorgias for its artificial intelligence for customer service. A customer sends a DM on Instagram asking about their recent order. Gorgias automatically detects the customer’s name, finds their latest order in Shopify, and replies instantly: “Hi Jane! Your order #12345 has shipped and is currently in transit. Here’s the tracking link: [link].”
7. LivePerson
LivePerson is a pioneer in conversational AI, offering a robust platform called the “Conversational Cloud.” Its strength in artificial intelligence for customer service lies in its ability to manage asynchronous conversations across a vast array of messaging channels (like SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat) and its sophisticated intent analysis, which understands what customers want and routes them to the right bot or human.
- Pricing: Custom pricing for enterprise clients, tailored to their specific needs and conversation volume.
- Prominent Customers: HSBC, Delta Air Lines, Orange, The Home Depot.
- Example of Use: An airline uses LivePerson for its artificial intelligence for customer service. After a flight is canceled, a passenger initiates a conversation via WhatsApp. The AI bot understands the context, offers alternative flights, and upon the customer’s selection, rebooks the ticket and sends the new boarding pass directly within the WhatsApp chat.
8. Tidio
Tidio offers an accessible and affordable solution for small and medium-sized businesses looking to adopt artificial intelligence for customer service. It combines live chat, chatbots, and email marketing in one tool. Its AI chatbot, Lyro, can learn from your FAQ content in seconds to answer customer questions, providing a very low barrier to entry for support automation.
- Pricing: Tidio offers a free plan with limited chatbots. The “Communicator” plan starts at $25/month per seat, and the Lyro AI feature starts at $39/month.
- Prominent Customers: Primarily used by SMBs and startups across various industries.
- Example of Use: A solo online course creator uses Tidio’s artificial intelligence for customer service. They upload a simple FAQ document to Lyro. Now, when visitors on their website ask questions like “How long do I have access to the course?” or “Is there a certificate?,” the Lyro bot instantly provides accurate answers, freeing up the creator to focus on producing content.
9. Cresta
Cresta offers a unique and powerful application of artificial intelligence for customer service by focusing exclusively on real-time agent assistance. Instead of just talking to the customer, Cresta’s AI listens to live agent conversations (voice and chat) and provides real-time coaching and guidance. It suggests best-practice phrases, reminds agents of compliance requirements, and automates post-call notes.
- Pricing: Enterprise-level custom pricing, as it’s a sophisticated tool designed for large contact centers.
- Prominent Customers: Intuit, Cox Communications, Porsche, Holiday Inn.
- Example of Use: A large insurance company’s call center agent is on a call with a frustrated customer. Cresta’s artificial intelligence for customer service detects the customer’s negative sentiment and prompts the agent on-screen: “Acknowledge frustration: ‘I understand this is frustrating, let’s solve this together.'” It then pulls up the relevant knowledge base article for the customer’s specific policy question.
10. Sprinklr Service
Sprinklr is a “Unified Customer Experience Management” (Unified-CXM) platform, and its service module is a formidable tool for artificial intelligence for customer service, especially for large brands managing support across dozens of social and messaging channels. Its AI analyzes conversations from channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, identifies service requests, and automatically creates tickets with sentiment and intent data attached.
- Pricing: Enterprise-level custom pricing based on the modules and scale required.
- Prominent Customers: Samsung, McDonald’s, L’Oréal, Cisco.
- Example of Use: A global electronics brand uses Sprinklr Service as its main tool for artificial intelligence for customer service. The AI identifies a tweet from an influential user complaining about their new TV’s software. The platform automatically creates a high-priority ticket, assigns it to the social media support team, and suggests a public reply to de-escalate the situation while moving the conversation to a private channel for resolution.
11. Drift
Drift is a pioneer in the “Conversational AI” space, focusing on generating pipeline and supporting customers through real-time, AI-driven conversations. While often seen as a marketing and sales tool, its capabilities provide a powerful form of artificial intelligence for customer service by qualifying visitor intent and seamlessly routing them to the right resource, whether that’s a sales rep, a support agent, or a self-service article. Its AI is designed to engage visitors proactively, understand their needs through dialogue, and create a frictionless customer journey from the very first website visit.
- Pricing: Drift is aimed at mid-market and enterprise clients, with pricing available via custom quotes based on needs. Their plans typically start from “Premium” and go up to “Advanced” and “Enterprise” tiers.
- Prominent Customers: Okta, Gong, Snowflake, Tenable.
- Example of Use: A B2B technology company uses Drift’s artificial intelligence for customer service on its homepage. When a visitor from an existing customer’s company arrives, the Drift AI recognizes the company’s domain and initiates a chat: “Welcome back! Are you here for technical support or to learn about our new integration features?” Based on the response, it either creates a support ticket or connects the user with a customer success manager, providing a highly personalized experience.
12. Helpshift
Helpshift is a purpose-built platform for providing in-app customer support, making it a dominant force in the mobile app and gaming industries. Its approach to artificial intelligence for customer service is centered on resolving issues without forcing the user to leave the mobile experience. It offers a suite of tools including AI-powered chatbots, intelligent issue classification, and automated workflows that can guide users through troubleshooting steps directly within the app’s interface.
- Pricing: Pricing is customized and typically based on Monthly Active Users (MAU) or support volume, with plans designed to scale with the app’s user base.
- Prominent Customers: Supercell, Tencent, Zynga, Brex.
- Example of Use: A leading mobile game developer integrates Helpshift’s artificial intelligence for customer service into their game. A player gets stuck on a level and opens the in-app help center. The AI bot asks what they need help with. The player types “how to beat the dragon,” and the bot instantly provides a link to a specific FAQ article and a short video tutorial, all displayed as an overlay within the game, ensuring the player never has to exit their session.
13. Zoho Desk (Zia)
Zia is the powerful AI assistant that is integrated across the entire Zoho software suite, and its role in Zoho Desk is a prime example of comprehensive artificial intelligence for customer service. Zia acts as an analyst and an assistant for your support team. It can analyze incoming tickets for sentiment, automatically tag and route them, chat with customers to answer common questions, and even spot anomalies in your support workflow (like a sudden spike in tickets about a specific bug) and alert managers.
- Pricing: Zia’s AI features are included in the Zoho Desk Enterprise plan, which is competitively priced at around $40 per agent/month (billed annually).
- Prominent Customers: Sears, Daimler, IIFL, Essilor.
- Example of Use: A customer support agent at a mid-sized company is handling a tricky ticket using Zoho Desk. Zia, the embedded engine for artificial intelligence for customer service, analyzes the conversation in real-time and alerts the agent that the customer’s sentiment is becoming increasingly negative. Simultaneously, Zia suggests three relevant articles from the internal knowledge base that could help solve the customer’s specific problem, empowering the agent to de-escalate and resolve the issue faster.
14. Kustomer IQ (by Meta)
Kustomer, now a part of Meta, is an omnichannel CRM platform that excels at unifying customer conversations from a wide array of channels, with a special emphasis on Meta’s messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram). Kustomer IQ is the AI layer that powers the platform’s automation. This application of artificial intelligence for customer service helps businesses manage the massive scale of social messaging by using AI to deflect common questions, understand customer intent, and route complex conversations to the right agents with a full, unified history of every past interaction.
- Pricing: Pricing is per user, per month, with plans like “Enterprise” starting around $89 per user/month and “Ultimate” being more comprehensive. AI features are a core component of these plans.
- Prominent Customers: Glossier, Away, Rainbow Shops, UNTUCKit.
- Example of Use: A modern direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand uses Kustomer IQ for its artificial intelligence for customer service. A customer sends a DM on Instagram asking about the status of their return. The Kustomer IQ bot understands the request, authenticates the user, pulls the return status from their Shopify integration, and replies: “Hi! We received your return yesterday, and your refund of $59.95 was just processed. It should appear in your account in 3-5 business days.”
Artificial Intelligence For Customer Service: Vital For Businesses in 2025
Artificial intelligence for customer service is no longer optional—it’s essential for modern businesses that want to stay competitive, responsive, and scalable. These ten tools demonstrate how AI can transform customer support from a cost center into a strategic asset.
Whether you’re a startup looking for affordable automation or an enterprise seeking enterprise-grade AI capabilities, there’s a solution here that fits your needs. As customer expectations continue to evolve, adopting artificial intelligence for customer service can unlock faster resolutions, better insights, and happier customers.