The Agents: Came, Saw, and Conquered. An AV Big Idea

1. SALES: CLOSING TIME — THE AI WINE AND DINE

Current State of Technology

Using the right software is like using the right tool for a job—it makes all the difference, especially regarding CRM (customer relationship management) systems. As the nerve center of sales, a solid CRM tailored to your unique processes and client needs isn’t just nice-to-have; it’s essential for long-term success. But one quick search for “Best CRM tool” and you’ll find yourself swimming in options.

Despite the hype, most CRM tools are only as good as the information you put into them. They’re great at organizing workflows but demand hefty manual input and don’t quite read between the lines. Sales reps can find themselves bogged down with data entry, scheduling follow-ups, and churning out reports —leaving precious little time for what matters most: building relationships and closing deals.

Lead generation? That’s often still a numbers game. Companies cast wide nets through generic marketing campaigns, hoping to snag a few leads but with low conversion rates. The magic of personalization is often missing, and targeting strategies can feel like a shot in the dark, leading to long, drawn-out sales cycles. What’s needed is a CRM that not only organizes but anticipates — a proactive tool, not reactive, offering smart, data-driven insights to make every interaction count.

The Future With AI Agents

Enter the era of “Closing Time — The AI Wine and Dine.” AI agents are about to shake up sales by fine-tuning every stage of the funnel. With their knack for sifting through massive datasets and using predictive analytics, AI agents zero in on high-potential leads, freeing sales teams from guesswork. And the best part? You can now spend your wine-and-dine dollars on the right prospects, saving time and budget to invest elsewhere. It’s smarter selling with a side of savvy.

Furthermore, AI agents can personalize outreach by crafting tailored messages based on individual customer profiles and behavior patterns. During negotiations, AI agents can provide real-time data insights, suggest optimal pricing strategies, and even autonomously negotiate within predefined parameters.

Existing players such as Hubspot and Microsoft are integrating AI into their existing tech stack. HubSpot has launched Agent.AI, a network of autonomous AI agents designed to support marketing, sales, customer service, and operations teams. Through this platform, teams will soon be able to select AI agents, integrate them into their Smart CRM, and have them operate alongside human staff. Starting in November 2024, Microsoft will enable organizations to create custom autonomous AI agents within Copilot Studio, its platform for building tailored “copilot” assistants. As competition in the AI space heats up — especially following Salesforce’s recent launch of its agent-based AI system — Microsoft is doubling its commitment to AI agents, positioning itself to stay ahead in the race for AI-driven business solutions.

With AI agents on the job, sales folks now have a sidekick to lighten the load, boost performance, and provide crystal-clear insight into where the real opportunities lie. Because who doesn’t love a little extra clarity on the road to closing deals?

2. EDUCATION:  CLASS ACT — AI TUTORS FOR ALL

Education is a topic close to the hearts of countless families and lifelong learners. Some move cities just to access a better school, others spend months preparing for those high-stakes standardized tests, and many seek out every opportunity to unlock their full potential through knowledge. It’s no surprise that education is the key to unlocking future opportunities. But as technology steps in, especially with the rise of AI agents, the learning landscape is shifting fast.

Current State of Technology

Before AI, the education system largely relied on a one-size-fits-all model. Standardized testing, fixed curricula, and limited access to resources made personalized learning challenging. Teachers were stretched thin, managing large classes with diverse needs, and individual support was often minimal. Learning resources were static — textbooks, printed materials, and limited online resources — making it hard to adapt to different learning styles or paces.

The Future With AI Agents

Enter the era of AI agents, and education looks fundamentally different. AI agents enable true personalization, tailoring learning experiences to each student’s pace, strengths, and areas for improvement. Instead of relying solely on teachers, students now have 24/7 access to virtual tutors who can answer questions, clarify concepts, and provide practice in real time.

I was thrilled to watch GPT-4T’s tutoring video, where the AI took on the role of personal tutor for Sal Khan’s son (yes, the Sal Khan who founded Khan Academy), guiding him in solving a math question. It seemed a much better experience in terms of interaction, direction, and patience. (My father was never the patient kind when he tutored me math back in the day.)

AI agents also offer educators support by automating administrative tasks such as grading and tracking student progress. This frees up time to focus on teaching and mentorship. AI agents’ adaptive learning systems can adjust content based on real-time feedback, ensuring that each student is appropriately challenged and engaged.

A trailblazing company in this area is Khanmigo, built by the nonprofit Khan Academy. Khanmigo tutors students and serves as a valuable teaching assistant by streamlining administrative tasks such as lesson planning, generating quiz questions, and creating rubrics. This allows teachers to focus more on direct student engagement and instruction. Additionally, Khanmigo offers insights into student performance, helping educators tailor teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of their classrooms

Looking forward, AI agents have the potential to revolutionize education further. They could help design individualized learning paths considering each student’s unique interests and career goals, making learning more relevant and motivating. And in a global context, AI agents can break down language barriers, enabling students from different linguistic backgrounds to access the same content and collaborate seamlessly.

3. HUMAN RESOURCES: HIRE POWER — AI EMPOWERING HR

Current State of Technology

The frustration is real: as a job candidate, wondering if your résumé is lost in the black hole of the “next steps” or waiting endlessly for that elusive update. For a hiring manager, the mountain of résumés and the relentless scheduling feel like playing an endless game of HR Tetris. And as an employee, there’s nothing quite like a maze of outdated processes to chip away at your engagement and drive. Despite a sea of tools and software, these challenges remain stubbornly unsolved.

The pain points are all too relatable and unnecessarily complex. Human Resources departments are often buried in a mountain of repetitive tasks: screening résumés, juggling interview schedules, onboarding newcomers, and managing compliance paperwork. While Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) may keep things organized, they’re about as insightful as a paperweight. These tools lack the intelligence to make nuanced decisions, leaving HR teams to handle the nitty-gritty alone.

Strategies for employee engagement and retention tend to be reactive. Many rely on annual surveys or biannual performance reviews, which capture sentiment once in a blue moon and often miss the pulse of real-time concerns. This one-size-fits-all approach overlooks the daily frustrations and potential burnout that employees may face, meaning issues go unaddressed until they become costly turnover events.

The Future With AI Agents

The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that nearly half of all work could be automated with current technologies, including AI. In one of its analyses, the firm revealed that the biggest value for generative AI in HR — around 20 percent — lies in talent acquisition, recruiting, and onboarding. (AI agents can incorporate generative AI as part of their capabilities but aren’t strictly limited to generative AI.)

AI agents can streamline these processes by automating resume screening, creating job descriptions, identifying qualified candidates, scheduling interviews, and even handling initial interactions with applicants. This automation saves time and improves accuracy, allowing HR teams to focus on strategic decisions and more complex interactions.

Additionally, AI agents add significant value to employee engagement and retention by monitoring real-time sentiment, analyzing performance trends, and even identifying potential issues before they lead to turnover. For instance, Workday Assistant’s reimagined AI-powered agent can now provide personalized answers based on the context of the employees’ roles, locations, and needs.

Finally, AI agents greatly benefit learning and development. They can create personalized learning paths, recommend training resources, and track skill development, helping employees reach their full potential while aligning with organizational goals.

Although AI agents are set to make a significant impact on HR, research indicates they will enhance human roles rather than replace them. HR professionals who skillfully integrate AI tools will likely become more sought after, as companies aim to streamline HR processes and strengthen strategic decision-making.

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE: BOTMAN BEGINS —THE AI CRUSADER OF CUSTOMER CARE

Current State of Technology

We’ve all been there — calling customer service, only to be bounced from one agent to the next like a hot potato. Or scrolling through reviews to find out if that auto shop or florist is really up to snuff. Customer service can be hit or miss. When it’s a miss, it costs businesses big time in reputation, branding, and the bottom line.

Customer service might be the bedrock of customer satisfaction and loyalty, but many companies struggle to make it fast and effective. Call centers are expensive and hard to scale, while traditional chatbots stick to scripts, often leaving customers frustrated when their question doesn’t fit neatly into a pre-set response. Meanwhile, human agents can only handle so many calls at once, and teaching them to tackle complex questions takes time. The result? Many unhappy customers and many companies wishing they had an answer.

The Future With AI Agents

Like Gotham needs Batman, today’s customer service landscape needs its saviors. Enter the caped heroes of AI, who transform customer support from a necessary evil into a powerful force for good. “Botman Begins — The AI Crusader of Customer Care” symbolizes the dawn of advanced AI agents in customer service, which is estimated to power 95% of customer interactions by 2025.

These agents utilize natural language processing and sentiment analysis to understand and respond to customer inquiries with human-like empathy and precision. They can handle multiple interactions simultaneously, providing instant resolutions to common issues and learning from each interaction to improve over time. For complex problems, AI agents can seamlessly transition customers to human agents, providing all relevant context to ensure a smooth experience. By operating 24/7 and continuously improving, AI agents enhance customer satisfaction while significantly reducing operational costs.

Companies already leading the way include:

The impact of these AI heroes is nothing short of spectacular. Approximately 80% of customers who interact with AI chatbots report positive experiences, while companies using AI achieve 3.5 times greater increase in customer satisfaction rates.

AI shines brightest when paired with human agents. While 71% of customers still prefer speaking to a human for complex issues, AI efficiently manages routine tasks, freeing agents to handle more challenging situations. This partnership creates a blend of efficiency and empathy, delivering a seamless customer experience. The key is striking the right balance between automation and the human touch to create a truly heroic service experience.

5. TRAVEL AND LEISURE: AGENT GET SMART — PERSONALIZING JOURNEYS

Current State of Technology

Behind every picture-perfect holiday memory (or travel horror story) is the blood, sweat, and caffeine-fueled chaos of travel planning.

These days, travel planning means juggling flights, hotels, and activities across a dozen platforms. Sure, online travel agencies give you options, but personalization? Real-time updates? Not so much. When plans change, the endless rebooking hassle and added costs can turn “relaxation” into a full-time job. Customer service? Often robotic at best, leaving travelers to scrape together info from scattered sources along the way. Isn’t it time for a travel buddy that actually keeps up with the adventure?

The Future With AI Agents

“ChatGPT, are you able to create a 3-day Disney World travel plan for a family of four during Spring Break in 2025? Departure city is San Francisco.” ChatGPT returns a comprehensive plan with travel tips at the end, including suggestions for accommodation, flight times, and booking the “Genie+ and Lightning Lane.”

ChatGPT is an example out of the chapter of “Agent Get Smart — Personalizing Journeys,” which captures the transformative impact of AI agents in the travel and leisure industry.

About 57% of travel companies are already using AI for personalized recommendation crafting end-to-end itineraries tailored to individual preferences, budgets, and schedules. This is a direct response to 90% of the travelers preferring personalized experiences, which AI agents can deliver through data analysis and predictive algorithms. For instance, Expedia Group offers an AI travel assistant that helps customers manage bookings, check reservations, and provide information about amenities. Trip Boutique focuses on hyper-personalized travel experiences through an AI-enabled B2B SaaS solution that enhances client relationships and itinerary building.

Soon (or perhaps we’re already there), capabilities such as adjusting plans on the fly in response to delays, weather changes, or evolving customer desires will be table stakes. We’d also expect that even during travel, AI agents will provide real-time support, offering recommendations for dining, entertainment, and cultural experiences based on the traveler’s profile and feedback. By enhancing personalization and convenience, AI agents elevate the travel experience, fostering customer loyalty and opening new revenue streams for businesses.

It’s a win-win.