NiCE Data Reveals Surge in AI Deployment and Continued Strength of Voice During 2025 Holiday Shopping Peak

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 revealed a notable evolution in customer behavior, as enterprises leaned heavily on AI to manage surging demand while consumers continued to rely on voice when they needed fast, reliable resolution. New data from NiCE highlights how both automation and human-assisted channels played distinct roles during one of the year’s busiest shopping periods.

According to NiCE platform data:

• AI-handled inquiries increased 77% year-over-year, reflecting enterprises’ growing reliance on automation to manage peak-season demand and operational pressure.
• Voice calls rose 35% year-over-year, underscoring voice as the most immediate and trusted channel when customers want problems solved quickly.
• Overall inquiry volume spiked sharply on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, even as interaction levels during the broader week trended below 2024, signaling that customers increasingly expect instant, day-of resolution during critical shopping moments.

The findings point to two powerful dynamics shaping modern customer experience: enterprises are scaling AI rapidly to meet cost, revenue, and CX demands, while consumers turn to the channels they believe will deliver resolution fastest. During peak shopping moments, that often means voice.

NiCE’s data also reinforces that customers care less about who delivers the resolution—AI or human—and more about how quickly and completely their issue is resolved.