Introducing AI agents

Announced on	Pricing rollout starts
April 16, 2024	August 14, 2024

Zendesk’s mission is to bring innovation to the world of customer service. Today, we're excited to announce a significant leap forward with the launch of AI agents.

This announcement includes the following sections:

• What’s changing?
• Why is Zendesk making this change?
• What do I need to do?
• Where can I get more information?

What’s changing?

AI agents are the next evolution of Zendesk bots. Powered by our latest AI advancements, these AI agents are designed to resolve your customers’ issues—from simple to the most complex—from start to finish. The introduction of AI agents also evolves our pricing and packaging to reflect the direct value they provide to your customer experience (CX).

• AI agents for all: As of our Relate event in April, all Zendesk customers have access to our AI agent capabilities as part of their Suite or Support plans.
• Advanced AI add-on: The Advanced AI add-on will continue to offer AI-powered tools to enhance agent and admin workflows. See Overview of AI agents for more information on what’s included in AI agents vs. the Advanced AI add-on.
• Outcome-based pricing: Starting in August, we will transition to outcome-based pricing for AI agents, focusing on automated resolutions. This new model aligns with the value delivered by AI agents—charging only for issues they resolve autonomously. Automated resolutions will replace the former Zendesk bots’ Monthly Active Users (MAU) and Answer Bot Resolutions pricing models. See About automated resolutions for AI agents for more information.

Why is Zendesk making this change?

Zendesk is committed to leading the charge in AI for CX. With our recent acquisition of Ultimate, an industry-leading provider of service automation, and the introduction of AI agents, we are making this vision a reality. Our AI agents set a new standard by providing end-to-end resolutions.

With AI agents and the associated pricing model changes, we will:

• Make AI agents accessible to all: We want every business to have the opportunity to leverage the power of AI agents, regardless of size or plan. As AI becomes increasingly essential to customer interactions, we're enabling our customers to succeed in a landscape that’s moving towards greater automation and efficiency.
• Align pricing directly with value: Our new pricing model reflects the real results delivered by AI agents in resolving customer issues end-to-end, ensuring you pay for the value you receive. You will only incur costs when AI agents successfully resolve issues without human intervention. Shifting away from interaction-based pricing means you are only investing in successful outcomes.
• Offer flexibility to customers: We recognize each business has unique needs and timelines for embracing AI. Our approach is to offer a range of options, allowing you to integrate AI agents in a way that aligns with your company’s specific objectives.

What do I need to do?

Zendesk customers can immediately tap into the power of AI agents:

• Discover AI agents: If you’re on any Zendesk Suite or Support plan, you have immediate access to AI agents. Start exploring the full range of capabilities* including our latest AI-powered tools like intent suggestions, generative replies, and AI agent persona.
• Experiment without cost: From April until the new pricing goes into effect, you can trial AI agents at no additional cost, giving you a three-month head start to experience the benefits of AI agents.
• Understand pricing changes: Familiarize yourself with the upcoming outcome-based pricing model**, which will be based on automated resolutions. A new automated resolutions dashboard is now available in Admin Center to help you understand and forecast what may be needed as your business grows.

Zendesk's AI agents are here to redefine what you can expect from automation in customer service. With immediate availability, you can start transforming your CX today, ensuring that when it comes to pricing changes, you'll only pay for the success your AI agents achieve.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of what AI can do for you and your customers.

*To ensure you unlock the full potential of AI agents and optimize your experience, certain conditions must be met. For more information, see Overview of AI agents.

**For Zendesk Suite customers already using Zendesk bots before April 16, 2024, new pricing will be applied on the first account renewal date after August 14, 2024.

For customers with existing Answer Bot resolutions or MAU commitments, new pricing will be applied on the first renewal date after October 16, 2024, unless their contracts are altered before that date. For a comprehensive list of changes, see What changes on my account when I migrate to automated resolutions? 

Where can I get more information?

See these articles for more information on AI agents and automated resolutions:

• Getting started with AI agents
• Overview of AI agents
• About automated resolutions for AI agents
• Monitoring automated resolution usage
• Getting ready for AI agents
• On demand: Learn how to use AI agents

If you have feedback or questions related to this announcement, visit our community forum where we collect and manage customer product feedback. For general assistance with your Zendesk products, contact Zendesk Customer Support.