Imagine Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that responds to and anticipates your needs, saving you time, reducing costs, and driving growth.
This is no longer an imagination but the promise of Agentic AI.
"Agentic AI is an artificial intelligence system that possesses a degree of autonomy and ability to make decisions or take actions independently within a given context," said Krishna Tammana, the chief technology officer of Gupshup.
Tammana differs Agentic AI from traditional AI, explaining that the latter " often requires explicit instructions for every task" and creates "original content based on learned patterns and user prompts, focusing more on creativity than action."
Agentic AI stands out due to its unique ability to 'analyse information, learn from experiences, and adapt its behaviour based on its environment or specific goals,' as described by Tammana.
Agentic AI adoption in APAC
With its endless possibilities, Agentic AI adoption is set to rise. Gartner predicts that 33% of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI in 2028, skyrocketing from less than 1% in 2024.
Tammana reports a significant surge in Agentic AI adoption, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. He attributes this growth to technological advancements, widespread digital transformation initiatives, and increasing R&D spending by private and public sectors.
"According to an APAC AI Outlook study done by IBM, nearly 60% of surveyed organisations across the Asia-Pacific region anticipate realising the benefits of their AI investments within two to five years," Tammana said.
Tammana highlighted examples of the rapid adoption of Agentic AI in the region, including the case of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) in Japan.
He said that the company has enhanced the efficiency and security of its banking operations by deploying AI agents. The technology helped the company streamline the loan approval process and detect fraud.
"In Singapore, the Sectoral AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing empowers experimentation with AI in areas like quality assurance, operations optimisation, predictive maintenance, product design, and industrial automation, facilitating learning from successes and failures," he added.
Notable benefits
With its autonomous features, Agentic AI offers numerous benefits to organisations and enterprises, from enhancing operational efficiency to improving customer engagement.
"By automating repetitive and resource-intensive tasks, businesses can reduce operational costs and free up human resources for higher-value work. For instance, predictive maintenance powered by agentic AI can decrease unplanned downtime by 20-30% in manufacturing," he said.
The Gupshup CTO said agentic AI could enhance overall decision-making by analysing vast datasets in real-time.
"This capability reduces the risk of missed opportunities and enhances strategic agility. For example, financial institutions utilising agentic AI can streamline transactions and adapt to market changes instantaneously, improving overall responsiveness," he explained.
He also said that Agentic AI can enhance customer engagement through hyper-personalised interactions.
"By understanding individual customer preferences and behaviours, businesses can tailor their marketing efforts and support solutions more effectively, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty," he said.
Great power, great risks
While the possibilities of Agentic AI are endless, it also comes with challenges that cannot be ignored. An article by Shomit Ghose, a UC Berkeley College of Engineering lecturer,reminds us that " with great power comes great risks."
"Agentic AI will also introduce ramifying, non-linear risks of unintended consequences, biases, and potential harm," Ghose warned.
Despite its risks, Tammana believes it is not ideal for enterprises to lag behind Agentic AI adoption. He said, "Opting out of Agentic AI may mean falling behind competitors, facing operational inefficiencies, increased vulnerability to cyber threats, and issues with talent acquisition—all of which can significantly impact their long-term viability in the market."
Ghose reminds organisations to implement safety practices to mitigate these risks, such as evaluating system suitability for specific tasks, constraining action spaces, and setting default behaviours aligned with user preferences.
"Ensuring transparency in AI decision-making, establishing accountability mechanisms, and human-in-the-loop processes are essential for responsible governance," Ghose added.
Starting with agentic AI
When starting with Agentic AI, Tammana advises organisations to examine pain points, repetitive tasks, and data-intensive processes. This will help them identify areas that need automation or enhanced decision support.
Afterwards, he said that organisations must define clear objectives for integrating agentic AI: "This involves setting specific goals regarding what the AI will enhance or automate, whether it's reducing operational costs, improving customer engagement, or streamlining workflows."
Moreover, Tammana suggests organisations assess whether their current systems are compatible with agentic AI technologies and ensure they can access high-quality data relevant to training AI models.
"Once the groundwork is laid, organisations should select the technology stack supporting their objectives."
Technologies to watch out for
In addition to Agentic AI, Tammana said that organisations should watch out for other technologies, such as spatial computing, " which integrates augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality and is poised to revolutionise how users interact with digital content."
He said it has the potential to enhance collaboration and data visualisation, improve training processes, and improve customer engagement by creating immersive experiences.
Tammana added that 5G and 6G technologies will fuel the growth of IoT and edge computing by enabling faster and more reliable connectivity.
Getting started
Agentic AI represents the future of innovation, offering opportunities to those who are prepared to embrace it responsibly.
By acting now, organisations can secure a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
