Productivity and workforce - A match made in business

A business is not just about building and selling a product or a service; it is an amalgamation of multiple processes starting from the ideation stage to serving customers post sales continuously. These processes need to work in tandem and with consistent efficiency for a business to achieve and maintain success.

To help businesses reach their best productivity levels, there has been numerous software with a multitude of features. Ranging from automation to AI, these functionalities have helped businesses simplify and streamline their business processes. Keeping in line with the idea of constant evolution, a new addition to this array of functionalities has emerged: Agentic AI.

Agentic AI: An overview 

Agentic AI refers to the use of autonomous AI agents capable of independently thinking and executing business operations relevant to a given business scenario, similar to how a human employee would.

Now, we already have traditional AI features such as sales predictions, product recommendations, analytics, and so on. In addition, there are chatbots and generative AI that provide solutions through responses to queries. A common factor among all these AI functionalities is that they execute tasks that a sales representative otherwise has to put in a lot of time and effort to do. So, can these functionalities be termed agentic AI? Not really. Let us see the difference with a couple of examples.

In the case of traditional chatbots, they are trained with a finite number of predefined solutions and limit the extent to which they can resolve queries. Generative AI ushered in a new change where contextual responses were provided based on the queries. But generative AI dealt with the generation of content and did not perform any activities.

In the case of AI agents, we can equip them to accomplish the configured tasks through relevant collaterals, previous memory, and tools such as the web, emails, and so on. Based on the configuration and learning, the agents can think on their own and decide and execute actions that they deem fit for the operations they have been created for.

How does agentic AI operate? 

Learning 

One crucial element of any AI system, including AI agents, is the availability of sufficient and relevant resources from which it can acquire the necessary skills to perform its tasks. These agents can gather knowledge from various sources like APIs, user inputs, business data and metrics, sensor outputs, collateral, and the like. Their memories of what they did and the insights they gain from those memories serve as an additional resource for decision-making.

Decision-making 

A key characteristic that sets AI agents apart from other types of AI is their capacity to think independently and make decisions in accordance with the situation. The decision-making abilities of these AI agents are influenced by various factors such as the objectives to achieve, the role and behavior defined for the agents, their reasoning skills through large language models (LLMs), and the context and memory acquired by the agent after deployment.

Execution

An AI agent analyzes a business scenario, determines the optimal action, and carries it out automatically, based on its configuration and learning. It can collaborate with other AI agents and human agents as well, and perform intricate business operations.

What can agentic AI do for you?

Alleviate agent workload 

Agentic AI has the ability to reduce many challenges associated with workload. By assigning various business tasks to AI agents, you can concentrate on more important business activities. This allows all duties to be completed without requiring human intervention in every task, enabling human agents to focus on matters that require their unique abilities while maintaining high quality work.

Handle tasks without limitations

Apart from the workload, an AI agent can also be employed for instances where there are limitations to human agents. Despite our best efforts, it is not feasible for a single human to be accessible 24/7 and assist customers in every country and time zone. However, customers may need help at their convenience, and a single AI agent can manage these situations without being restricted by human constraints.

Enhance speed and accuracy 

Humans might have developed AI, but we cannot compete with their speed in task execution. Moreover, with proper training, the likelihood of AI making errors decreases significantly. This also holds true for AI agents. When it comes to completing large tasks swiftly and accurately, an AI agent can be a reliable choice.

Are there challenges to agentic AI?

Executing tasks with accuracy 

The benefits derived from AI agents depend on how accurately they operate. Important factors to consider are the precision of information given, the effectiveness and time-saving capabilities of the agents in completing tasks, and the influence on key performance indicators (KPIs) after implementation. These issues can be addressed by assessing the accuracy of an agent through simulations of its operational environment and tracking its effects.

Providing undesirable solutions

It is crucial for an AI agent to provide solutions that are fair and noncontroversial. Any discriminatory or hateful responses in conversations, emails, or any other context can prove to be counterproductive to the purpose of implementing an AI agent. Incorporating guardrails for bias and toxicity can help prevent these issues.

Privacy and security concerns

AI agents can be susceptible to hacking and potential data breaches, just like any other digital transaction. Implementing security measures, such as preventing injection attacks, hosting on a secure infrastructure, etc, can enhance the protection of your AI agents.

Embracing the era of agentic AI

The emergence of AI agents has introduced a new dimension to productivity levels. It is high time you tap into the benefits that AI agents can offer your business in order to stay competitive and continue to grow. By strategically adopting AI agents into your operations, you can achieve enriching outcomes for your business.

At Zoho, we strive to enhance your business efficiency using agentic AI with Zia Agents. Leverage prebuilt AI agents or build your own from scratch to accomplish your most complex business tasks.