APAC consumers call for explainable, transparent AI as over three-quarters register higher demands compared to a year ago

Zendesk released its 2026 Customer Experience (CX) Trends report, revealing that Contextual Intelligence – the ability to combine AI, data, and human understanding in real time – is redefining what great service means.

In APAC, the demand for this level of intelligence is growing alongside evolving consumer expectations: 77% of APAC consumers say their service standards have increased over the past year, 75% want more personalised experiences from brands using AI, and 96% want clear AI explanations. However, gaps persist – less than half (49%) of CX leaders in the region have prioritised personalisation, just 35% of organisations currently provide a full, inspectable AI decision trail, and only 37% of agents see building trust and transparency as a top priority.

Leaders recognise the implications of these gaps – and are already acting to close them. 78% believe that disconnected data threatens consistent service and a further 86% say customers will drop those that cannot resolve issues on first contact. In response, 37% of APAC firms have adopted prompt-analytics hubs – a figure expected to more than double within a year – and 78% are implementing AI reasoning controls to boost transparency.

Based on insights from over 11,000 consumers, CX leaders, and customer service agents around the world – including nearly 4,000 from the Asia Pacific region – Zendesk’s eighth annual report highlights how the most successful companies in APAC are blending the capabilities of AI with the emotional intelligence of human service.

“AI is not the differentiator anymore. How intelligently you apply it is. When 85% of CX leaders say one unresolved issue is enough to lose a customer, speed, accuracy, and empathy become non-negotiable. The best systems connect past interactions to present intent to anticipate what is next, putting contextual intelligence in action. That is the balance Zendesk delivers: automation that feels personal and builds trust by bringing real context to every conversation.” said Tom Eggemeier, Chief Executive Officer of Zendesk.

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Mitch Young, Senior Vice President, APAC, Zendesk, noted, “In APAC, what’s industry-leading today quickly becomes tomorrow’s standard. Customers here aren’t just looking for a speedy reply – they want instant resolution, deep personalisation, and transparent, understandable AI. The business case is clear: APAC organisations investing in AI maturity are seven times more likely to see improvements in customer churn and nearly twice as likely to report strong returns. With the rapid evolutions in AI-powered service and a growing middle class in APAC fueling consumer spending, staying ahead requires a relentless focus on value, trust, and seamless resolution at every touchpoint.”

The Zendesk CX Trends 2026 report identifies five key shifts shaping customer experiences in the year ahead:

1. Memory-rich AI is raising the bar for personalisation by carrying context across channels and time. Consumers in APAC now expect service that picks up where they left off: 81% want agents to continue the conversation without backtracking, and 72% are frustrated when they have to repeat information. Although most APAC CX leaders (83%) agree that maintaining memory across channels deepens relationships and eases friction, less than half (49%) have made deeper personalisation a top priority – even as three in four consumers now expect it from brands using AI.

2. Instant resolution is the new expectation, as quick replies no longer impress APAC consumers. With AI and self-service accelerating consumer demand for fast, accurate support across all touchpoints, 88% of APAC consumers say both responsiveness and resolution strongly influence purchase decisions, and 91% expect response times to be as fast or faster than a year ago. Reflecting this demand, more than 8 in 10 regional CX leaders say that failure to resolve issues immediately will cost brands their customers, and 83% see AI as critical to speeding up resolution.

3. Goodbye, omnichannel – hello multimodal. APAC customers now expect not just channel presence, but the ability to move effortlessly between voice, chat, and visual sharing within a single conversation. In fact, 84% would choose brands offering text, images, and video sharing in a single, seamless thread without restarting, and 83% say this makes support easier. Meanwhile, 79% of APAC CX leaders believe Voice AI is finally reaching the point where it can significantly evolve the customer experience.

4. Promptable analytics and AI-driven metrics are gaining traction in APAC, empowering teams to make faster, data-informed decisions that align with both customer needs and internal objectives. 79% of CX leaders say promptable analytics unlock answers in seconds, and 82% report AI already improves data and analytics. High-maturity firms track AI-driven metrics at nearly triple the rate of low-maturity peers (61% vs 21%). Adoption is set to accelerate: 37% of firms have a prompt-analytics hub live today, set to more than double to 79% within a year, though 73% cite lack of standards as a key challenge.

5. AI transparency is now non-negotiable, with 96% of APAC consumers – the highest globally – expecting clear explanations for AI-made decisions, and 82% valuing plain-language reasoning. While 80% of CX leaders agree transparency will soon be mandatory for any customer-facing AI, only 35% of organisations currently provide a clear, auditable record of AI decisions, and just 37% of agents prioritise trust and transparency. High-maturity organisations are already preparing, with 98% implementing or planning AI reasoning controls, far ahead of low-maturity peers (37%).

Together, these trends demonstrate how intelligence and knowledge converge to create faster, more personalised, and deeply aware customer experiences, setting a new benchmark for trust and loyalty worldwide – and especially within APAC’s fast-evolving region. Contextual intelligence will become the foundation for companies to deliver exceptional CX, differentiate in the market, and cultivate lasting customer relationships.

Download the full Zendesk 2026 CX Trends Report here for an in-depth look at the five trends shaping the future of customer experience and the actions companies can take to stay ahead.

CX Trends 2026 is based on insights from over 11,000 respondents worldwide – including nearly 4,000 from Asia Pacific. The research combines two global surveys conducted across 22 countries in June 2025: one with 6,182 consumers and another with 5,115 business respondents including CX leaders, service managers, and agents.

Countries surveyed include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Zendesk powers exceptional service for every person on the planet. As a leader in AI-powered service, we offer the Zendesk Resolution Platform, designed to redefine customer experience with advanced tools that integrate AI Agents, a comprehensive knowledge graph, actions and integrations, governance and control, measurement and insights, and human expertise. Our purpose-built platform enhances service by combining automation and human insight for seamless interactions. Easy to use, easy to scale, and easy to get value from, Zendesk helps companies strengthen relationships, improve efficiency, and grow.