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Verizon Is Enlisting Google’s AI to Resolve Support Calls on the First Try

We spoke to Verizon’s consumer group CEO about how he sees Google Gemini revolutionizing customer service quality.

Verizon’s cryptic Project 624 flew under the radar until this week, when the carrier announced a new customer service program built on Google Gemini AI technology that’s intended to resolve issues on first contact. If it works as intended, subscribers should be able to avoid the time-sucking support slog that is often a hallmark of modern troubleshooting.

Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon’s consumer group, laid out changes to the customer experience that went live Tuesday, which include a team dedicated to satisfying customers in their first call (called the Customer Champion team) and improvements to the My Verizon app that leverage Google Gemini AI technology. There’s also expanded live customer agent hours and 24/7 live chat and a larger footprint of physical Verizon stores. The company will also offer more perks and giveaways. 

In an open letter laying out the carrier’s new customer service initiative, the consumer group CEO also included a direct email address, s.sampath@verizon.com, for customers to contact him.

But before we get into the specifics of what’s new, I wondered if the announcements were a direct reaction to the most recent quarter in which the company lost nearly 300,000 customers in the first quarter of 2025. Is the carrier boosting customer service to win back more subscribers?

«That’s a very fair question,» Sampath said. «The answer is quite straight: Every first quarter we lose customers, that’s the seasonality of the business. So this has nothing to do with our first quarter of business. This has to do with the two, three year transformation that we are in the middle of.»

He explained that improving customer experience is the next step after his prior efforts to revamp Verizon’s sales infrastructure and price plans.

Verizon may be the first carrier to get AI in its customer service platforms, but it’s not the only one thinking of including it. Last September, T-Mobile announced that it was partnering with OpenAI to include a new artificial intelligence offering to help customers, which would launch sometime in 2025. Whether Verizon’s system will get a leg up depends on what it’s got in store for helping subscribers get their essential questions answered.

Harnessing AI to create Customer Champions

Customer service for any industry is difficult, but that’s compounded for large mobile players like Verizon that provide connectivity for millions of customers across large swathes of area and technological hardware. And because phones have gained outsized importance in our lives, having something go wrong with one’s link to the outside world can ratchet up frustration.

«I get a lot of emails from customers every day, and they’re not pretty,» said Sampath. He estimates that 80% of the time, customers get their issue resolved on the first call. About 15% have to call again, maybe twice. «The last 5% go into a doom loop, and they are the most dissatisfied. It’s a very rough journey for them. We see it, and it’s not fair on them.»

To try to avoid that loop, Verizon is launching its so-called Customer Champion team that uses Verizon-customized Google Gemini 2.0 models to process calls, identify solutions and keep the customer updated throughout the resolution process. It’s an approach inherited from systems Verizon has been using for its enterprise customers.

«We’ve been doing that for a few months now in pilot [programs], and 90% of the time we solve issues the first time around,» he said. As the program proceeds, he hopes to get that number up to 95 or 96%.

Google Gemini is also an important part of an update to the My Verizon app. The AI-powered Verizon Assistant has been built with input from Google engineers and embedded with Verizon-specific context. As a practical example, the technology can enable Verizon to deal with problems proactively.

«If your phone is lost in transit, I know it because FedEx told me it didn’t get delivered,» he said. «Why do I need you to call me and let me know your phone got lost?»

In such a case, Verizon uses AI to identify the problem, automatically open a case and get back to the customer with a plan to resolve it. Sampath explained that Verizon essentially creates a small language model for each case, and compared that to the large language models (LLMs) that have more visibility in the industry right now. The small, bespoke models don’t have general knowledge around life.

«I don’t need to know what the Romans did,» he said. «I need to know why my bill went up. And we go ahead and do exactly that.»

LLMs, however, are not always known for their accuracy. Sampath said that a year and a half ago they were seeing a 30%-40% error rate, but that has now improved to «well north of 90% accuracy. And when it’s inaccurate, it’s only mildly inaccurate because of the way we do it. We don’t get crazy answers on [it].»

Expanding live customer support and store footprint

With this surge in using AI to handle customer issues, I naturally wanted to know if that would negatively affect Verizon staffing. If Verizon’s Gemini model can deal with most requests, does that take humans out of the loop and off the payroll?

«We’ve used AI to basically take cognitive workload off our employees so that they can focus their bandwidth and headspace on listening to customers better,» Sampath said. «That’s the right way for us to go. Look, if I need to take out costs, there are simpler ways for me to do it. I don’t need to deploy AI and all the complexity that goes with it. And for us, AI is all about problem solving.»

As part of this new customer support initiative, Verizon is expanding its live support options in several ways. Representatives will be available from 9 a.m. until midnight (local times) via phone calls, expanded from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and during the rest of the clock via live chat.

«[Stuff] happens when you least expect it, and I don’t want you to have to wait until the morning, because things can change,» he said.

The network of physical Verizon stores also plays a part, because «we want to be in your community,» Sampath said. He noted that Verizon is recommitting to the retail experience, having added around 400 new stores in the last couple years and plans to keep expanding the company’s brick-and-mortar footprint.

Verizon Access rewards platform

In today’s mobile provider environment, perks have become powerful incentives, with carriers offering extras from conventional add-ons like streaming services and in-flight Wi-Fi to the assortment of giveaways in T-Mobile Tuesdays. On this front, Sampath made a point of differentiating Verizon’s offerings from the competition.

«Look, we don’t give you $3 off your Little Caesars Pizza… you don’t get a large popcorn versus a medium popcorn. I’m sure there’s good value in that,» he said. «We give you bucket-list things you can do,» citing examples such as tickets to NFL games, Katy Perry and Beyoncé concerts. 

Starting today through June 30, Verizon is giving away 35,000 free prizes in drops from its Verizon Access program, «anything from tickets to devices and a bunch of other things to keep our loyalty going.»

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Google Discover Gains Follow Button and Expands Content Sources

Google’s personalized news feed will feature a wider variety of content in the coming weeks.

Google Discover, Google’s personalized news feed, has largely remained the same since its introduction in 2018, but it’s now receiving some new and helpful features. 

On Wednesday, Google announced that Discover will soon expand the type of content found within the feed and allow you to follow publications and creators. You can find Google Discover in the Google app, and it will be built into the home screens of some Android phones. 

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Instead of just seeing a list of web pages to visit on your feed, you’ll soon see a mix of web articles, YouTube videos and social media posts from X and Instagram, effectively widening the net of content shown in Discover. 

Along with expanding content from more sources, Google Discover is allowing users to follow specific publishers and content creators using a «follow» button at the top right of each content card. 

Google says that tapping the publication’s or creator’s name will open a new page previewing the content that’s typically shared before you choose to follow the outlet. From our testing across multiple phones so far, it appears the feature is still rolling out. 

Your Google Discover feed should now allow you to follow content creators. A more diversified mix of content will roll out over the coming weeks. 

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New Bill Aims to Block Both Online Adult Content and VPNs: How Your VPN Could Be Affected

A proposed bill in Michigan has a broad reach that covers everything from adult AI content to manga and even depictions of transgender people. It includes a VPN ban to avoid workarounds.

If you live in Michigan, you might not be able to legally use a VPN soon if a new bill is passed into law. On Sept. 11, Michigan Republican representatives proposed far-reaching legislation banning adult internet content. 

The bill, called the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act and advanced by six Republican representatives, would ban a wide variety of adult content online, ranging from ASMR and adult manga to AI content and any depiction of transgender people. It also seeks to ban all use of VPNs, foreign or US-produced. 

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

VPNs, or virtual private networks, are software suites often used as workarounds to avoid similar content bans that have passed in states like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and the UK. VPNs can be purchased with subscriptions or downloaded and are also built into some browsers and Wi-Fi routers.

But Michigan’s bill would charge internet service providers with detecting and blocking VPN use, as well as banning the sale of VPNs in the state. Associated fines would be up to $500,000.

What the ban could mean for VPNs

Unlike some laws banning access to adult content, this Michigan bill is comprehensive. It applies to all residents of Michigan, adults or children, targets an extensive range of content and includes language that could ban not only VPNs but any method of bypassing internet filters or restrictions. 

That could spell trouble for VPN owners and other internet users who leverage these tools to improve their privacy, protect their identities online, prevent ISPs from gathering data about them or increase their device safety when browsing on public Wi-Fi.

Read more: CNET Survey: 47% of Americans Use VPNs for Privacy. That Number Could Rise. Here’s Why

Bills like these could have unintended side effects. John Perrino, Senior Policy and Advocacy Expert for the nonprofit Internet Society, mentioned to CNET that adult content laws like this could interfere with what kind of music people can stream, the sexual health forums and articles they can access and even important news involving sexual topics that they may want to read.

 «Additionally, state age verification laws are difficult for smaller services to comply with, hurting competition and an open internet,» Perrino said.

The Anticorruption of Public Morals Act has not passed the Michigan House of Representatives committee or been voted on by the Michigan Senate, and it’s not clear how much support the bill has beyond the six Republican representatives who have proposed it. As we’ve seen with state legislation in the past, sometimes bills like these can serve as templates for other representatives who may want to propose similar laws in their own states.

Could VPNs still get around bans like these?

Could VPNs still get around this type of ban? That’s a complex question that this bill doesn’t really address. 

«From a technical standpoint, ISPs can attempt to distinguish VPN traffic using deep packet inspection, or they can block known VPN IP addresses,» said NordVPN privacy advocate Laura Tyrylyte. «However, deploying them effectively requires big investments and ongoing maintenance, making large-scale VPN blocking both costly and complex.»

Also, VPNs have ways around deep packet inspection and other methods. 

«Some VPNs offer obfuscation — which tries to disguise VPN traffic as standard web traffic — using dedicated servers or custom VPN protocols, like NordVPN’s NordWhisper or Proton VPN’s Stealth,» said CNET senior editor Moe Long. «But note that obfuscation isn’t foolproof.»

There are also no-log features offered by many VPNs to guarantee they don’t keep a record of your activity, and no-log audits from third parties like Deloitte that — well, try to guarantee the guarantee. VPNs can even use server tricks, such as RAM-only servers that automatically reboot to erase data after every browsing session.

If you’re seriously concerned about your data privacy, you can look for features like these in a VPN and see if they are right for you. Changes like these, even on the state level, are one reason we pay close attention to how specific VPNs work during our testing, and recommend the right VPNs for the job, from speedy browsing to privacy while traveling.

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Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 19 #565

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Sept. 19, No. 565.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Do you drink your coffee black? If so, today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be a puzzler. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Pour it on.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Wow, no cow.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • NONE, CONE, RICER, SHEW, FAIR, FAIRY, DRAY, YARD, MILK, CASH, DONE, DRAM, MADAM

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • RICE, FLAX, ALMOND, CASHEW, COCONUT, MACADAMIA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is NONDAIRYMILK. To find it, look for the N that’s four letters down on the far-left row, and wind across and down.

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