Is Agentic AI the End of Hold Music? Jenna Shanks Joins The DigiGov Podcast

Most of us know the feeling. You call a government helpline, listen to a menu of options that don’t quite match why you’re calling, press 1, then 3, then 0, and settle in to wait. By the time you reach a person, you’re frustrated, they’re under pressure, and neither of you is at your best.

Jenna Shanks knows the experience better than most: she has a personal hold-time record she’d rather forget. She also spends her working life trying to make sure fewer people have to go through it.

In episode #10 of The DigiGov Podcast, recorded live at the end of day one of DigiGov Expo, host Piers Kelly sits down with Jenna Shanks from NICE. With every seminar on the show floor promising that AI can clear the public sector backlog overnight, they cut through the noise and ask a simple question: can AI really fix the citizen experience, or is it just another sticking plaster on old systems?

Why this conversation matters now

For many people, a contact centre is their first, and sometimes only, point of contact with government. When that experience breaks down, the consequences go well beyond a bad afternoon. People are often calling about things that really matter to their lives: tax, benefits, court dates, housing. Getting it wrong, or making it impossible to get through, has a real cost.

At the same time, the technology has moved on quickly. The conversation has shifted from basic chatbots to agentic AI, and public sector leaders are under growing pressure to show they’re keeping up without putting vulnerable citizens or their own staff at risk.

What’s covered in the episode

• Where the friction really is. Jenna explains why the biggest barrier to better citizen services often has nothing to do with technology, and why AI is a second step rather than a first.
• Chatbots vs agentic AI. We’ve all asked a chatbot one question and received an answer to a completely different one. Jenna explains what has actually changed, and why many of us still carry the “scars” of those early experiences.
• Inclusion and accessibility. How can contact channels be modernised without shutting out elderly, vulnerable or digitally excluded citizens who simply need to speak to a person?
• A more human contact centre. It might sound like a contradiction, but Jenna argues that AI could make conversations with frontline advisors more human, not less. She explains what that could mean for the people taking the calls.
• Risk, trust and guardrails. What happens when AI gets it wrong? Jenna offers a refreshingly balanced take on accuracy, accountability and keeping AI in check.
• The workforce debate. Will AI replace contact centre jobs? Jenna has a clear, straight-talking view, and some thoughts on what tomorrow’s frontline roles might look like.
• The unglamorous foundations. Why the most exciting AI projects start with the least exciting work, and what happens when an organisation skips it.
• Where to start. Practical advice for digital directors and heads of customer service who want to move beyond the hype, avoid fixing the wrong problem and bring their teams with them.

Who should listen

This episode is a must-listen for anyone working in or with public sector contact centres, casework teams or citizen services: digital and transformation leaders, heads of customer service, and frontline managers wondering what AI will mean for their teams. It’s also a great listen if you’ve ever been stuck on hold and wondered why it still has to be this way.

Jenna is honest, funny and refreshingly direct about both the opportunities and the risks. She doesn’t pretend AI is a quick fix, and her advice on getting started is as practical as it gets.

Listen now below or find The DigiGov Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping the future of digital government.