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IKEA: AI handles 47% of customer conversations, humans reposition

IKEA uses AI to handle nearly half of its customer conversations, but has chosen to train thousands of employees for a new advisory role in interior design rather than reduce its workforce. The economic result of this approach is significant.

IKEA: AI handles 47% of customer conversations, humans reposition

A concrete example shows that automation by AI does not always lead to job losses.

At IKEA, AI now handles more than 47% of customer conversations. Rather than reducing its teams, the company analyzed the remaining requests: by analyzing the 53% of remaining conversations, IKEA discovered that customers did not just want an answer, they wanted advice. IKEA has therefore trained 8,500 employees in the role of interior design advisor, a remote advisory service generating 1.3 billion euros in revenue. As summarized in this widely shared LinkedIn post: technology does not decide to lay off, humans do.