AI is no longer a side conversation in customer experience. It’s showing up in design workflows, self-service interactions, and leadership expectations — often faster than CX teams have time to set clear guardrails.

For CX leaders, that reality is reshaping how CX strategy gets defined, governed, and executed. The question is no longer, should we use AI? It’s, where does AI belong, how do we deploy it intentionally, and what should never be automated?

Those questions sit at the center of several guest speaker sessions at CX Forum West. Across industries and roles, CX leaders from Nationwide, Together Credit Union, Schwab Advisor Services, Ancestry, UKG, and PetSmart will explore what it really means to get specific about AI and why that specificity is becoming essential to delivering experiences customers trust.

Moving From AI Adoption To AI Intent

Many organizations can point to AI initiatives. Far fewer can clearly explain why those initiatives exist, what success looks like, or where human oversight still matters. This shift is pushing CX leaders to think about AI not just as a set of tools but as an increasingly important input into CX strategy.

That shift — from adoption to intent — shows up as a crucial discussion point at CX Forum West, including a session focused on how real companies are approaching agentic AI with greater deliberateness. Guest speakers Allison Mistlebauer, managing director of advisor services at Schwab Advisor Services; Bob DelPonte, executive vice president and chief customer experience officer at UKG; and Bradley Breuer, senior vice president of marketing at PetSmart, will join the conversation, bringing insights from organizations operating in complex, high‑expectation environments.

For leaders who attend the session, the discussion offers perspective on how organizations are thinking about evaluating use cases, balancing automation with accountability, and connecting AI decisions to CX and business outcomes. Rather than positioning AI as a blanket solution, the conversation centers on more deliberate thinking about where AI adds value — and where clarity and restraint matter just as much.

Designing Experiences That Stay Coherent As AI Scales

As AI becomes embedded in CX tools, it is also reshaping how experiences are designed. Faster iteration and automation create opportunity, but they also raise the stakes for design discipline.

That dynamic shows up in a CX Forum West session focused on how AI is influencing design workflows and what CX leaders should consider as those workflows evolve. Guest speaker Heidi Munc, vice president of user experience at Nationwide, joins Forrester analysts for a discussion that reflects the practical realities that surface as AI accelerates production — including questions around governance, shared standards, and keeping experiences cohesive as teams move faster.

For many CX organizations, this is where specificity becomes essential. AI can help teams work smarter but only when design foundations are clear and resilient enough to support it.

What “Great” Customer Self-Service Really Looks Like

Customer self‑service is often the most visible — and unforgiving — expression of AI in CX strategy. Customers don’t judge self‑service by how advanced the technology is. They judge it by whether it helps them solve a problem.

That reality shows up in a CX Forum West session focused on how CX leaders are thinking about customer self‑service as automation becomes more common. Joe Wang, director of customer and community experience at Ancestry, and Guneet Singh, vice president of customer experience and care at AppFolio, join Forrester analysts for a discussion that examines how self‑service design is evolving as automation becomes more common.

The session touches on intentional design choices — such as when automation supports customers, when escalation matters, and how trust plays a role in moments that shape the overall experience.

Leading With Trust In An AI World

As AI becomes more visible in CX delivery, leadership questions come into sharper focus. Customers, employees, and stakeholders all want to understand how decisions are being made — and where accountability ultimately sits.

That dynamic shows up in a CX Forum West session focused on what it means to lead as AI reshapes both customer experiences and expectations. Jonathan Roberts, vice president of strategy at Together Credit Union, joins the conversation to examine how leaders are navigating change as automation becomes more embedded in CX delivery. The discussion reflects broader considerations around leadership, communication, and reinforcing customer‑centric values in an increasingly automated environment.

The takeaway is timely. While AI can automate interactions, it cannot replace judgment. CX leaders remain responsible for the trust their experiences earn.

Why Specificity Is Becoming A CX Advantage

Taken together, these guest speakers at CX Forum West point to a clear theme: The CX leaders shaping this conversation aren’t focused on using more AI; they’re focused on using it more deliberately.

They’re examining how AI fits into design workflows, self-service strategies, operating models, and leadership responsibilities — and being explicit about where human oversight remains essential. At CX Forum West, these perspectives come together to help CX leaders move the AI conversation forward, from possibility to practice and from ambition to intent.

Registration for CX Forum West is required to attend their sessions, which include:

  • “Ready, Set, Agentic: How Real Companies Deploy AI With Intent,” Tuesday, June 30, 2:55–3:40 p.m. PDT
  • “Build Better Experiences With An AI‑Enabled Design Workflow,” Tuesday, June 30, 4:10–4:55 p.m. PDT
  • “What Great Customer Self‑Service Looks Like,” Tuesday, June 30, 11:50 a.m.–12:20 p.m. PDT
  • “Be A Trusted Human Leader In An AI World,” Monday, June 29, 3:30–4:30 p.m. PDT

If you’re navigating similar questions in your CX strategy, these guest speakers offer a grounded look at how leaders across industries are getting specific about AI and what that specificity makes possible.

Space at CX Forum West is limited. Buy your tickets to learn from these guest speakers, along with more than 20 Forrester analysts available for one‑on‑one meetings, to get the clarity you need to make confident AI decisions.