Human-AI partnership on display at Refresh Virtual Summit
At Freshworks' global event, leaders showed how the partnership approach delivers faster responses and higher satisfaction than either could achieve alone
Will AI replace humans? In the workplace, AI has begun to take on some tasks, freeing up humans to focus on high-quality work. This is the right way to approach AI, particularly when it comes to customer support, said Venkat Venkataraman, Freshworks vice president of product, AI platform, and strategy, in a session at Refresh Virtual Summit on November 18, 2025.
“The smartest customer service isn't AI or human, it’s the unbeatable partnership of both,” he said at the virtual event attended by 6,000 people around the world.
According to Freshworks' CX Benchmark Report 2025, organizations using AI alongside human agents see dramatic improvements. Analysis of more than 32,000 teams found that first response times dropped from 6 hours to 4 minutes, resolution times fell from 32 hours to 25 minutes, and CSAT scores climbed from 89% to 99%.
AI and humans excel at fundamentally different things, said Venkataraman. AI handles 50-60% of transactional queries with tireless consistency, while humans bring what Venkataraman called "meaning and emotional calibration" to complex, emotionally nuanced moments. "AI and humans are complementary, not competitors," he said.
Human-AI partnership in action
Venkataraman shared an example of what happens when people partner with AI: By using Freshworks' Freddy AI tools, DHL saw 70% faster first response times, 78% improvement in assignment times, and 96.39% CSAT. According to Freshworks' benchmark data, Freddy AI Copilot improves agent productivity by 60% and response quality by 74%.
Freshworks customer Norm Gharibian, Business Intelligence technical lead at Omron Americas, joined the stage to share his team’s experience partnering with Freddy AI Copilot.
This isn't just about upgrading tools, it's about redesigning how customer service operates—smarter, faster, yet more human.
Venkat Venkataraman
Vice President, Product
"We position it not as a replacement, but an enabler," Gharibian said, "a partner that handles time-consuming, low-value tasks so that people can focus on creativity, empathy, and complex problem solving."
Results from early Freddy AI Copilot users showed 60% improved agent productivity and 74% better response quality.
Venkataraman closed with a challenge to CX leaders: "This isn't just about upgrading tools, it's about redesigning how customer service operates—smarter, faster, yet more human."
The full session explored how companies can implement this partnership model and featured a detailed customer journey demonstration.
Watch the clip below from Venkat Venkataraman's session at Refresh Virtual Summit, or register and experience the full event on demand.
