S2E7: Will AI Agents Kill Customer Service Jobs? | Alexander Matthey (Parloa)

In this episode, Alexander Matthey, CTO and co-founder of Parloa, shares his vision for how AI agents will transform customer service. Drawing from his experience at Adyen and previous startups, Matthey explains why he believes people will actually want to talk to customer service in the future. He discusses how AI agents will enable 24/7 support without language barriers or wait times, while human agents will shift to handling more complex, specialized cases that require nuanced problem-solving.
Matthey also addresses critical industry questions about implementation challenges, enterprise adoption, and the fate of Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs). He reveals why building modular AI systems from day one is essential for enterprise success, how engineering productivity will change with AI coding tools, and why the industry needs to shift from time-based to value-based pricing models. The conversation covers practical insights on US market expansion, the balance between hype and reality in AI deployment, and why execution remains the key differentiator in a fast-moving market where everyone claims to have the same capabilities.