Every business wants an AI agent that can handle customer conversations. Fewer trust one enough to actually let it.
James Detmer, Director of Product Management at Meta, says trust isn’t something you flip on. It’s something the agent has to earn on two fronts. First, with the business itself: learning when to hand off to a human, showing it can handle real interactions, and proving it delivers on the customer experience you’d want from your own team. Then, with the customer: showing up with the right brand voice, the right product knowledge, and the right tone.
“It’s not about adopting a generic tool or plug-and-play an existing system,” Detmer says. “It’s really tailoring it to your business.”
That’s the difference between an AI agent people tolerate and one they actually want to talk to. The businesses getting this right are treating their agent like an extension of their team, teaching it their voice, their products, and what they want customers to feel when they engage.
Detmer’s advice for leaders right now: find your “magic moments.” Those are the experiences already working in your business, the ones ready to scale to new audiences and new geographies with AI behind them. Start there, go deep, and let trust build as results follow.
Watch Meta in a Flash, our series on rapid-fire perspectives on AI and innovation, to hear James Detmer answer these key questions:
- How can businesses show up in an AI-centric world?
- How can businesses build confidence in their AI agents?
- What’s one thing every business leader should do right now to stay ahead?
- What does “AI-ready” actually look like for an enterprise in 2026?
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