Adopting AI Agents Is Becoming a Necessity For Many Businesses
Using tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot is a great way to streamline workplace processes, and get your business’s feet wet with AI technology.
Yet, Microsoft’s research suggests that AI agents hold the key to significantly improving operational efficiency, especially for businesses with complex administrative processes like those in healthcare, banking and finance, and retail industries.
“Agentic AI covers a range of virtual tools – or ‘agents’ – from simple chatbots that retrieve information and answer questions; tools like Copilots which automate tasks and workflows; through to fully autonomous systems that learn, plan, and act with minimal human input.” – Microsoft’s UK reporter
According to Microsoft’s report, agentic AI technologies can help businesses overcome barriers to productivity and unlock growth. Speaking on the matter, the UK’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology agrees, explaining that agents will play a key role in closing the widening AI divide, by enabling organizations to work smarter, not harder.
The good news is that despite being a relatively new AI trend, the majority of UK business leaders are already aware of the technology potential, with 72% of respondents expecting AI agents to be fully integrated into their operations at some point in the near future.
And while Microsoft may have a vested interest in the matter, findings from our latest Annual Impact of Tech on the Workplace report agree. Out of the senior leaders we surveyed in the US, 88% recognize the link between technology and productivity. A smaller proportion are willing to put their money where their mouth is too, with almost 10% of AI-using businesses spending $500,000 on the technology each year.
But as we explain next, for businesses falling on the wrong side of the AI divide, it’s never too late to play catch up.
