Automation has been a cornerstone of industrial revolutions throughout history, driving productivity, efficiency, and profitability. From Britain’s late 18th and 19th-century industrial revolution to the United States’ post-World War II boom, automation has radically transformed economies and societies.
Today, we stand on the brink of a new wave of automation, powered by agentic AI, which promises to revolutionize business operations in unprecedented ways. In fact, our recent research found that 82% of organizations plan to integrate AI agents by 2027.
UK Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Capgemini UK.
What are AI agents, really?
AI agents are, at their core, software programs that interact with their environment, collect data, and autonomously perform tasks to meet predetermined goals. They represent an evolution from traditional automation technologies like robotic process automation and machine learning that have powered enterprise operations for the past two decades.
An agentic AI workflow employs technology such as Large Language Models (LLMs) that perform specific tasks and integrates these in a system that can interact with users and perform tasks autonomously and effectively. Unlike their predecessors, AI agents can perceive, reason, and act in changing environments to achieve their goals, often deciding independently how to reach them, thanks to the explosion in advanced reasoning capabilities of LLMs in recent years.
The benefits of agentic AI in enterprises are widespread. We will undoubtably see enhanced customer service, IT support, and overall business functions because of agentic systems in the coming years. By automating complex tasks and integrating with external tools such as web searches, APIs, and dedicated databases, AI agents can execute more sophisticated tasks and collaborate with each other, driving productivity and efficiency.
Businesses can use agentic AI to improve and differentiate their offers to customers ahead of competitors, adding communication channels and styles that appeal to specific customer bases. They will also reduce the cost of operations as trust in agents is built, and human oversight is reduced.
How to make AI agents that can transform organizations
To build agentic AI systems that deliver real impact and return on investment, businesses have a clear set of tasks. AI agents must have defined roles, need to be able to easily find and locate the data they will use, seamlessly define the tasks or goals they will execute, and set boundaries with guardrails.
Multiple agents, each with its own specialized role, can cooperate in a decentralized structure to solve more complex tasks collaboratively. For example, in processing insurance claims, one agent verifies documentation, another evaluates policy criteria, and a third processes payments, completing the task jointly and the user only needing to engage with one interface.
As organizations transition toward agentic systems, it’s vital that leaders collaborate closely with AI specialists to effectively design and streamline these processes. Integrating AI agents into existing systems can be complex and disruptive if not managed carefully. Building an architecture that accurately reflects real-world activities requires creating digital descriptions and definitions of business operations.
Clearly defined tasks can then be mapped to AI agents as needed. Designing systems for human/AI collaboration needs to be front of mind, ensuring that AI agents collaborate seamlessly with human workers. This involves careful orchestration to maintain human oversight and compliance with safety regulations.
Data quality and optimization is an easily-overlooked element to consider for the entire agentic architecture. Fragmented data will block AI agents from working effectively. Organizations must assess data quality, implement robust governance and security measures, develop pipelines for real-time data availability, and continuously enhance processes through feedback loops.
Governance strategies are also essential for managing AI agents. Human intervention must be a safeguard in case decision-making from AI agents appears to be biased, inaccurate, or breaches company ethics. Testing for compliance and failure, including for bias, fairness, and operational performance, is non-negotiable.
Systematic logging of agent activity, capturing performed tasks, actions taken, evaluation metrics, and the agent’s internal state, is necessary for effective monitoring and error tracing.
Use of agentic AI across industries
The integration of AI agents in various sectors is already underway, and there are huge benefits to be reaped for enterprises. In customer service, we’re seeing AI agents automatically draft responses to customer queries based on historical interaction data, taking ownership of client issues and resolving them without human input.
For example, an AI agent can request more information from a customer, analyze the enquiry, and offer a solution, even overriding standard procedures if circumstances justify making an exception. This level of autonomy and adaptability enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In financial services, AI agents can create personalized investment strategies and dynamically monitor client portfolios. They can also detect fraud by identifying suspicious transactions and initiating appropriate responses.
Looking at life sciences, AI agents can support drug discovery by extracting actionable insights from drug mechanisms, disease progression, and clinical outcomes. They can refine clinical trial design and monitor real-time data for mid-trial adjustments, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of research.
Manufacturing and retail sectors can also benefit from AI agents. Smart camera-based process monitoring can improve shopfloor performance and safety compliance, while agentic systems monitor shelves in-store and warehouses, automatically triggering stock replenishment using stock-keeping unit codes.
The future of agentic AI
The agentic AI future is here, and it’s set to revolutionize business operations. Organizations must seize this moment to review their processes for suitability and unlock unprecedented gains in productivity and cost saving. As expertise in adoption spreads, more sectors will join the agentic AI journey, transforming how we work and interact.
By harnessing the autonomous, goal-oriented, and adaptive capabilities of AI agents, enterprises can supercharge their functions and stay ahead of the competition. The future of business is agentic, and the time to embrace this transformative technology is now.
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