At this year’s X4 Summit, CX Network’s Amelia Brand caught up with Isabelle Zdatny, head of thought leadership at the XM Institute within Qualtrics, for an insightful conversation about the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer experience (CX), what it takes to build truly transformative CX programs and the future of CX.
Zdatny, who leads content and research at the XM Institute, brings more than a decade of CX experience to the table. Starting her journey at the Temkin Group in 2013 and continuing through its acquisition by Qualtrics in 2019, she now focuses on equipping CX and EX professionals with the tools, frameworks and strategies they need to succeed - far beyond product alone!
CX Network: What initially drew you to the CX field?
Around that time, behavioral economics was gaining traction, and I was fascinated by how organizations often treat customers as purely rational actors, when in reality, we all have biases and heuristics. I became really interested in human-centred design - how we can shape experiences that align with how people actually make decisions.
CX Network: That’s such an interesting background. Shifting gears, can you share a memorable success story where you’ve seen a company transform their CX journey using Qualtrics?
IZ: One that stands out is ServiceNow. A few years ago, they had a basic CX program based on an annual NPS survey. When their new head of CX came in, she essentially tore it all down and started from scratch.
They hosted design thinking workshops with senior leaders across the company - not to ask what surveys they needed, but to uncover the real challenges and pain points people were facing. From there, they built a CX program tailored to solving those problems. It wasn’t about gathering more data - it was about gathering the right data. They aligned everything to business goals and with strong executive support, they built a mature program in about three years.
CX Network: One stat that stood out in your recent AI report in partnership with McKinsey is that 72 percent of executives believe AI will significantly transform CX, but only 12 percent have a centralized AI strategy. Why such a disconnect?
IZ: A lot of executives understand AI will be transformative in the medium-to-long term, but what that means in the next 18 months is much less clear. There’s a real fear of making big organizational changes without guaranteed outcomes.
Implementing AI often requires top-down leadership, changes to tech infrastructure, legal and compliance oversight - it’s a heavy lift. There’s urgency, but not always clear intention. Everyone’s feeling the pressure to “do something in AI,” but without a solid roadmap, it’s easy to get distracted by shiny tools rather than building toward real value.
CX Network: Exactly, it’s so easy to get lost without a clear North Star. Another stat I found fascinating from the report: only 15 percent of executives aim to be leaders in AI-driven transformation. What’s holding companies back?
IZ: We’re seeing the classic technology adoption curve. The 15 percent are your innovators and early adopters. Even mature organizations are cautious because the reputational risk of getting AI wrong is high.
Some companies rushed into things after the release of ChatGPT - rolling out AI-powered chatbots without quality training data - and ended up delivering poor customer experiences. AI magnifies errors. And once customers lose trust, it’s hard to win them back.
CX Network: What do the successful ones do differently? What are the critical elements of an effective AI strategy?
IZ: First and foremost, it has to be centralized and top-down. Your AI strategy should be directly tied to your business and brand objectives. What are you trying to achieve? Higher customer spend? Improved retention? Start with that.
Then, you need strong governance to oversee the implementation across departments. AI touches marketing, IT, CX, legal - so coordination is key. Ethics and compliance also play a huge role. You need guardrails to ensure your AI use aligns with company values.
Finally, evolving your data and tech infrastructure is essential. AI needs clean, connected data. It’s not just a CX task - it’s an enterprise-wide effort. The good news is that AI can also help solve some of these issues - by cleaning and organizing data, connecting systems and making analysis easier. So in many ways, AI can help pave the road for more AI.
CX Network: Beyond AI, what’s the single biggest shift you think we’ll see in CX over the next five to 10 years?
IZ: I hope - and expect - that CX will become more recognized as a strategic asset. Too often, CX teams are buried three layers deep in marketing or digital departments, which limits their impact.
For CX to really move the needle, it needs to be cross-functional and connected to enterprise-wide goals. That means breaking out of silos, growing centers of excellence and becoming more integrated into strategic decision-making.
Quick links:
- Top 50 customer experience leaders to follow in 2025
- JPMorgan Chase sues customers for fraud
- 5 Signs workforce management is hurting CX
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