Zendesk and Sierra: AI agents should be paid per result, not per seat

Zendesk CEO Tom Eggemeier and Sierra co-founder Clay Bavor said at HumanX in Amsterdam that per-seat software pricing is ending and customers should pay AI agents only when they complete a task. Zendesk will drop seats across its business within three to six months, while Sierra charges only when its agents resolve an issue or make a sale.

• Zendesk will drop per-seat pricing across its business in 3–6 months
• Sierra charges only when its agents resolve an issue or close a sale
• Sierra originates over $1bn in new mortgages a month for Rocket Mortgage and others
• Zendesk expects AI agents to handle over 80% of interactions within three years