AI and customer service
Chatbots, voice bots and AI agents at banks, airlines, telcos and government. Why some help and some infuriate, from someone who has designed them for twenty years.
“Why can’t I just talk to a human?”
Ben Farrell · AI expert for TV, radio & media interviews · Sydney
AI explained clearly. For the stories Australians care about.
Ben Farrell helps audiences understand what AI means for their work, the businesses they deal with, and their everyday lives. Available for television, radio, podcasts and media commentary.
- Expertise
- AI in everyday life, work and customer service
- Experience
- 20+ years designing AI conversations used by millions
- Author
- Designing AI Conversations at Scale (2026)
- Based
- Sydney · TV, radio, podcasts and print
On camera & on stage
At home in a studio or in front of a crowd.
Ben has appeared on Network 10’s Studio 10 and presents his own travel channel on YouTube, alongside regular keynotes and live panels across Australia and Asia.
Television · Studio 10, Network 10 · April 2020
Not just the AI guy.
On Studio 10, Ben talked travel gadgets. On his YouTube channel, Road Less Travelled, he takes viewers off the beaten track. Different subjects, same knack: making something unfamiliar easy to follow, useful and worth watching.
AI is his specialist ground, but he’s just as comfortable with the human angle, the consumer story or a lighter segment.
Recent stages
Other recent stages include Make It Real at Marina Bay Sands and the CCAS Symposium in Singapore, plus executive roundtables in Sydney and Melbourne. Ben also runs the Conversational AI and Chatbot Meetup in Sydney.
Full speaking history
Topics
AI stories Ben can help explain.
As an AI commentator, Ben's specialist ground is AI in customer service and everyday conversations with organisations. These are the kinds of questions he can help a TV, radio or podcast audience make sense of.
AI at work
How everyday jobs and tasks are actually changing, where AI takes the grunt work off people, and where the anxiety is (and isn’t) justified.
“Is AI coming for my job, or just changing it?”
Everyday AI
Practical uses, real limitations and common misconceptions. Including why an AI answer can sound completely confident and still be wrong.
“Can I trust what the chatbot just told me?”
AI in business, minus the hype
Why so many AI projects stall, what separates the ones that work, and realistic expectations for organisations of any size.
“Is all this AI spending actually paying off?”
AI news, explained
A plain-English read on a new model, product launch or industry announcement: what has really changed, and what it means beyond the headline.
“What does this announcement mean for me?”
Trust and responsible AI
Privacy, reliability and the role of human judgement. When AI should hand over to a person, and who is accountable when it gets things wrong.
“Who’s responsible when the AI makes a mistake?”
Got a different AI angle? Ask anyway. If Ben isn’t the right voice for the story, he’ll say so.
For producers
Bio and resources.
Short bio · 100 words
Ben Farrell is a Sydney-based AI expert, keynote speaker and author of Designing AI Conversations at Scale. For more than 20 years he has worked where AI meets everyday customers, designing AI conversations and customer journeys experienced by millions, for brands including CommBank, Jetstar, FedEx and HSBC.
He started on the phones, including taking Triple Zero emergency calls, and went on to lead customer experience and contact centre programs across Australia and Asia. Ben makes AI simple without making it shallow: what it can do, where it falls short, and what it means for the people using it.
Ben comments in a personal capacity, separate from his role at Cisco. Views expressed are his own and do not represent his employer.
Details for your rundown
- Name
- Ben Farrell
- Suggested on-screen title
- AI expert and author
- Book
- Designing AI Conversations at Scale (2026)
- Website
- benfarrell.ai
- Based
- Sydney, Australia
Want the longer story? Read Ben’s full background.
Quick answers
For producers on deadline.
Is Ben available for TV and radio interviews about AI?
Yes. Ben is available for television, radio, podcast and print interviews, and for expert commentary on AI. Send the outlet, topic and deadline to hello@benfarrell.ai or use the media enquiry form.
What AI topics can Ben comment on?
AI in customer service, AI at work, everyday AI and its limits, AI in business, AI news and announcements, and trust and responsible AI. His specialist ground is how AI talks to customers, from chatbots to voice assistants.
Has Ben been on television before?
Yes. Ben has appeared on Network 10’s Studio 10 and presents his own YouTube travel channel, Road Less Travelled. He also presents regularly to live audiences, including Salesforce Agentforce World Tour in Sydney and Cisco Live in Melbourne.
Can Ben talk about topics beyond AI?
Yes. AI is his specialist area, but his April 2020 Studio 10 segment was about travel gadgets, and he is comfortable with consumer, human-interest and lighter segments too.
Where is Ben based?
Sydney, Australia. Include your location and format (studio, remote, phone or pre-record) in your enquiry.
Does Ben speak on behalf of his employer?
No. Ben comments in a personal capacity, separate from his role at Cisco. Views expressed are his own and do not represent his employer.
Media enquiries
Book Ben for your next AI story.
For TV and radio interviews, podcast appearances, expert commentary or segment enquiries, get in touch with the topic, programme and deadline.
Helpful to include:
- Outlet or programme
- The story or question
- Format: live, pre-record, phone or studio
- Your deadline
Speaking or advisory enquiry instead? Use the speaking or advisory forms.
Received
Thank you. Your enquiry is in.
Ben will reply personally. If your deadline is tight, you can also email hello@benfarrell.ai.