RTI's Head of CS on finding the balance between AI and human input

Customer Success has been a focal point of the AI vs. Human conversation, raising questions about how great companies can maintain a deeply human-to-human approach while still leveraging AI's efficiency.

We spoke with Jim Jones, Head of CS at RTI, about how data and AI are improving customer interactions and outcomes in the space—and the gravity of balancing it all with human oversight. RTI is a leader in Data Distribution Service (DDS) solutions, and their AI-powered Connext Chatbot is providing personalized support to clients at scale, without replacing human help or input.

No silver bullet: "I never want to lose sight of the fact that AI is a tool. When Salesforce and CRMs first emerged, they were seen as revolutionary. But there’s a danger in believing any tool is a silver bullet. AI accelerates what we as humans already know. It’s like comparing a knife and a fork; you need both of them to eat a steak," says Jones.

LLM tools can't solve every issue, but AI assistance is still taking some of the weight off of Jones' team's shoulders, while allowing all clients to receive personalized help. "Customer experience has historically been a one-size-fits-all model," says Jones. "We often treated our largest customers the same as the smallest ones, as we were still refining our approach." This year, RTI is shifting to a bifurcated experience, offering high-touch "white glove" service to top-tier clients while leveraging AI to support smaller customers.

"The chatbot is seeing high usage from customers seeking everything from documentation support to design problem-solving," Jones explains. The AI-driven assistant retains context from past interactions, making it feel like "talking to an expert," and it’s available 24/7 to help customer questions as they pour in.

Smart systems, smarter world: The AI chatbot is just one tool with a backbone of human supervision that supports RTI’s larger mission. "We provide infrastructure that enables smart devices to communicate critical information in real time," Jones explains. "Take medical devices in an ICU—many don’t talk to each other. If they shared relevant data, patient outcomes could improve dramatically. We don’t predict outcomes; we ensure seamless data flow so those insights can be generated."

More data? More AI: RTI heavily leverages data analytics to anticipate customer needs. "We track inflection points in the customer lifecycle using Salesforce and other tools," Jones notes. "If a customer is early in development, they need certain resources. If they're further along, their priorities shift. Our team now delivers content tailored to where they are in their journey."

Unstructured feedback: RTI is also experimenting with AI to analyze customer notes and interactions. "By understanding sentiment and identifying key players in a project, we can enter conversations better informed and more prepared to assist," he says. "KPIs around customer feedback and sentiment are tricky. Measuring them often influences the results," Jones explains. "We rely more on unstructured feedback—customer conversations, emails—rather than just survey data. Our focus is on truly understanding customer needs."