AI CRM: what it is and how to evaluate it

AI is changing how businesses operate. Companies are using it to move faster, automate routine work and give their teams more time to focus on what matters.

 

This shift is playing out across all different types of software categories, but CRM is one of the clearest examples. For example, 65 per cent of businesses have already adopted CRM systems with AI features.

 

However, there‘s an even bigger shift happening within the category: the rise of AI CRM, which is distinctively different from a traditional CRM with AI features. AI CRM is a radically new type of software that captures, maintains and acts on customer data automatically. It‘s the first major platform shift in CRM in 25 years, and it will have major implications for businesses moving forward.

 

What makes an AI CRM different

 

The difference between a traditional CRM and an AI CRM comes down to who does the work.

 

With a traditional CRM, people type in contact details, log calls, update deal stages and keep records accurate. With an AI CRM, the software handles most of this automatically. That frees people to focus on actual customer relationships.

 

Adding a chatbot to an existing system doesn’t get you there. The software has to be built differently from the start.

 

An AI CRM is defined by three core capabilities: automatic data capture and enrichment that keeps records current without manual entry; built-in call recording with searchable transcripts; and a natural language interface for queries and updates.

 

Here‘s what each of those looks like in practice.

 

Customer data that stays current automatically

 

An AI CRM connects to the tools a team already uses: email, calendar, video conferencing. It pulls customer interactions into one place automatically. When someone sends an email or takes a meeting, it shows up in the customer record. No one has to log it. Records stay current without the manual work that often gets skipped when teams are busy.

 

Enrichment works the same way. When a new contact enters the system, details such as company and role get filled in automatically. When the same customer appears under different names or email addresses, the system recognises the match and merges the records. If you‘ve ever dealt with duplicates fragmenting your customer history, this alone is a big deal.

 

Conversations that become searchable context

 

One of the clearest differences is how AI CRMs handle customer calls.

 

Traditional CRMs treat calls as separate. Teams use standalone tools to record and transcribe, then manually connect insights back to customer records. If they do it at all – a lot of important context never makes it into the CRM.

 

AI CRMs build call recording directly into the platform. Conversations get transcribed, stored alongside the customer record, and made searchable. A colleague can ask “what did my customer say about pricing?” and find the answer in seconds. No digging through someone’s notes or a separate tool.

 

This changes how teams work together. Sales can review what was discussed before a follow-up. Customer success can understand account history without chasing down colleagues. Product can search across calls to find feature requests. The conversation becomes permanent context that benefits everyone.

 

Working with customer data in plain language

 

AI CRMs introduce a new way to work with customer data: just ask.

 

Instead of building a filtered view to find stalled deals, you can ask, “which deals haven‘t had activity in two weeks?” Instead of scrubbing through recordings, you can ask, “what did this customer say about the timeline?” The system searches across calls, emails and notes to find the answer.

 

This goes beyond search. You can update records, create tasks and draft follow-up emails just by describing what you want. After a call, you might say, “update the deal stage to negotiation and create a task to send the proposal by Friday.” The system proposes the changes. You confirm before anything gets applied.

 

For work that happens repeatedly, you can save prompts to reuse. A manager who reviews calls weekly can save a prompt to “summarise this call and list the main objections” rather than typing it every time.

 

The future of CRM

 

Not every product marketed as an AI CRM delivers on the promise. When evaluating options, ask yourself: does customer data enter the system automatically, or does the team still type it in? Is call recording built in with searchable transcripts? Can you search, update and create using plain language? Does the system handle enrichment and duplicates on its own?

 

The answers tell you whether you’re looking at a genuine AI CRM or a traditional system with some AI features attached.

 

The bottom line

 

An AI CRM is customer relationship software built around automation rather than manual data entry. It captures information automatically, keeps records accurate without constant cleanup and gives you new ways to find and act on customer context.

 

For businesses looking for what comes next in CRM, this is a meaningful shift. The burden of data capture moves from people to software, so the focus can go back to the relationships themselves.

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Learn more about AI CRM here

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Stuart Davies, Attio