#276 Ryan Wang: How Assembled is Building the Future of AI-Powered Customer Support

AGNTCY - Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents. Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. What happens when AI meets the chaos of real-world customer support? In this episode of Eye on AI, we sit down with Ryan Wang, co-founder and CEO of Assembled, to unpack how AI is transforming the future of customer service, without replacing humans. Ryan reveals how Assembled went from a workforce scheduling tool to a full-stack AI support platform used by companies like Stripe, Robinhood, and Honeylove. You’ll learn how conversational AI agents are handling up to 75% of support inquiries, why voice is the next big frontier, and how AI copilots are helping human agents become 15% more productive. But this isn’t just hype. Ryan shares the hard economic truths behind automation—why humans aren’t going away, how companies are navigating global workforce optimization, and why hybrid AI + human systems are here to stay. This episode gives you a front-row seat into how the smartest companies are rethinking support at scale. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI (00:00) Preview and Intro (01:37) Ryan Wang’s Journey from Stripe to Assembled   (04:55) Launching Assembled (09:49) From Scheduling Tool to AI-Powered Support   (12:11) Who Uses Assembled: Companies vs. BPOs   (14:57) Building Conversational and Voice AI Agents   (21:10) Competing with Zendesk, Salesforce & Crescendo   (23:07) How Assembled Integrates with Customer Support Stacks   (25:40) The Niche Power of Workforce Management Tech   (31:16) Why the Customer Support Market Is Ripe for Disruption   (33:47) How Assembled Swaps Between OpenAI, Claude & Others   (37:56) Evaluating LLMs with Golden Datasets and 'Vibe Checks'   (41:20) Multilingual Support and the Challenge of Europe   (45:11) Industry Focus vs. Complexity Focus   (47:43) Voice AI: The Next Big Frontier? (50:18) The Truth About AI Replacing Jobs in Support   (54:39) The Automation Paradox: Why Labor Isn’t Shrinking