One of the most significant development trends in artificial intelligence is the rise of autonomous AI. This is no surprise. Who among us wouldn’t want independently operating AI assistants that handle part of our work — including the tasks we never seem to find time for?
AI agents have been generating discussion and excitement for about a year now. At the same time, new and interesting agent examples continue to emerge. AI agents can detect weak market signals, conduct analyses, write reports, refine strategies, make initiatives, respond to emails, and even make phone calls. Within organizations, the range of applications is equally broad. AI agents can monitor inventory levels, place orders, handle customer service, track e-commerce operations, observe workplace atmosphere development, and much more. And this is only the beginning.
What is different now?
Many of the solutions and functionalities mentioned above have been seen before. What is new, however, is that creating AI agents can now be simple, fast, and cost-effective.
Agents are typically created using natural language. On a chosen agent platform, you simply describe — either by speaking or writing — what kind of AI agent you want. Programming is usually not required at all. The most important capability in creating an agent may be knowing what functions you want and being able to articulate them clearly. It is also important to define the agent’s purpose and objectives.
There are dozens of different applications and platforms available for building agents. One must choose the most suitable options. However, when you know what you are trying to accomplish, selecting the right tools becomes easier. The chosen platform may also be able to recommend necessary tools and assist in the agent’s development.
To make an agent sufficiently versatile and fit for purpose, it often needs access to various data resources, such as personal Google Drive folders. Access to the agent’s own email account may also be necessary. Granting such permissions should be carefully considered. It is essential to review the organization’s data security policies and data governance practices.
Towards new work and new roles
So far, the most effective AI agents appear to be those that perform relatively simple and well-defined tasks. The flip side of this approach is that the number of required agents can grow quite large. As the number of agents increases, monitoring, guiding, and modifying them becomes a new task in itself — one that increasingly resembles managing human employees. On the other hand, there are already examples of agents that monitor and verify the actions of other agents.
It seems inevitable that the use of AI agents will gradually become the new normal. Organizations must understand what kinds of agents they need, how to create them cost-effectively, how to ensure their proper functioning, and how to organize related development work.
This represents a new way of working in which the human role will change. In the very near future, we may find ourselves in a new kind of working life where AI agents orchestrated by a single person can accomplish in one day what traditionally would have taken dozens of hours. And agents are just as happy to work during the dark hours of the night and even during peak vacation seasons.
Blog Writers
Ari Laitala
Ari works as an expert at Sykli and specializes in the use of artificial intelligence in education and the circular economy.
Neda Rezvani
Neda works as a trainee at Sykli and develops training content related to AI agents.