Thanks to the democratisation of AI, what was until very recently a cutting-edge capability has become table stakes in the game of customer acquisition, service and retention. However, while technology is certainly accelerating these capabilities towards the mainstream, none of the trends or changes championed in this year’s report are truly unique or novel. They have been building over time as BPO providers have evolved their capabilities and as leading organisations have changed their perceptions of customer experience and of those who provide end-to-end CX services. Each of this year’s trends was actually born when organisations started seeing outsourcers as true partners, rather than as suppliers or vendors, and began working in tandem on achieving long-term objectives. All of which is why transformation will be critical to embracing these changes and becoming a CX trendsetter. Part of that transformation will be internal — rethinking and reengineering company culture and its approach to risk assessment and mitigation so that AI can flourish. But much of this change will need to be external and focused on how outsourcing is currently viewed and why CX has become a critical point of differentiation and competitive advantage.