When people talk about AI in business, the conversation often drifts toward chatbots or large language models. Useful, but a narrow slice of the field. In Customer AI, three types of AI matter most—and together, they create a complete system for understanding and influencing customers.

Generative AI — The Creator

Generative AI doesn’t just predict—it fills in the blanks. In Customer AI, that means creating a complete picture of every account, even when surveys go unanswered or decision makers stay silent. It generates datasets far richer than traditional survey programs, surfacing hidden signals like disengaged executives or silent churn risk (Customer AI Masterclass, Lesson 2.3 The Generative Amigo).

Predictive AI — The Forecaster

Predictive AI looks forward. It takes operational, attitudinal, and financial data and forecasts outcomes: which customers are likely to renew, expand, or churn. It doesn’t deal in certainties, but probabilities—guiding leaders on where the risks and opportunities really lie (Lesson 2.4 Mapping the Amigos to Customer AI Problems).

Prescriptive AI — The Advisor

Prescriptive AI turns forecasts into action. It identifies the “next best action” for frontline teams: which account to call, what offer to make, which lever to pull. By combining history with real-time signals, prescriptive models guide intervention at the moment it matters most (Lesson 5.6 Customer AI with Prescription).

Why the Three Work Together

Individually, each type of AI is powerful. Together, they’re transformative.

• Generative AI creates the foundation.

• Predictive AI narrows the decision space.

• Prescriptive AI guides the action.

It’s a loop: richer data leads to better predictions, which lead to sharper prescriptions, which in turn generate more valuable data.

The uncomfortable truth: most CX programs still rely on surveys and lagging indicators. The three types of AI turn those static snapshots into a living system—one that can see the present, forecast the future, and advise on the actions that change it.

Conclusion

The three types of AI—Generative, Predictive, and Prescriptive—are the core of Customer AI. They transform fragmented, lagging data into a living model that links customer management directly to revenue outcomes.

This framework is central to the Customer AI Masterclass, where CX, CS, and RevOps professionals learn how to combine the three Amigos of AI into a system that drives measurable impact on churn, NRR, and growth.