IBM is warning that the world of enterprise IT is on the cusp of a major revolution, one that will have significant implications for businesses and the future of technology. The days of AI being used solely as a predictive tool or chatbot are numbered, as the next wave of AI technology is set to usher in an era of AI agents.
Armand Ruiz, IBM’s vice president of product management for its AI platform, spoke at the SXSW Festival in Australia this week, explaining that AI agents will soon allow enterprises in the APAC region to automate complex, multi-step tasks. This will free up employees to focus on more human-centric activities, ultimately driving organizational efficiencies.
According to Ruiz, AI technologies have evolved from predictive models in traditional machine learning to the widespread use of chatbots. However, the next leap will bring about an “agentic era,” where specialized AI agents will collaborate with humans to drive even greater efficiencies.
“We have a long way to go to get AI to allow us to do all these routine tasks and do it in a way that is reliable, and then do it in a way that you can scale it, and then you can explain it, and you can monitor it,” Ruiz told the crowd. “But we’re going to get there, and we’re going to get there faster than we think.”
So, what exactly is an AI agent? According to Ruiz, an AI agent is a system that can autonomously reason through complex problems, breaking down tasks, creating actionable plans, and executing those plans using a suite of tools. These agents exhibit advanced reasoning, memory retention, and the ability to execute tasks independently.
Ruiz identified four key capabilities of AI agents: planning, memory, tools, and autonomous action.
1. Planning
AI agents are capable of advanced planning to address given tasks or prompts. This includes the ability to self-reflect and self-criticize, as well as break down larger tasks into smaller steps and establish sub-goals.
2. Memory
AI agents leverage both short- and long-term memory to support their autonomous actions. This includes in-context memory to track actions within a session, as well as long-term memory to log past interactions and continuously improve performance.
3. Use of tools
AI agents will be connected to third-party tools to complete their tasks. With the right access and governance, they could leverage a wide range of tools, from web search and code-generation platforms to enterprise systems like HR platforms, Microsoft Teams, CRM tools, cloud services, and data warehouses.
4. Autonomous action
The true potential of AI agents lies in their ability to act autonomously on behalf of humans. This could involve streamlining HR workflows, resolving software code issues, or performing other tasks, all while ensuring the protection of key information.
In conclusion, IBM is warning that the rise of AI agents will bring about a major shift in the world of enterprise IT. Businesses must be prepared to embrace this technology and its capabilities in order to stay competitive and drive efficiencies. The future is here, and it’s time for businesses to adapt and evolve with it.
