Autonomous AI agents – the latest wave of the AI revolution is here
“We believe that, in 2025, we may see the first AI agents ‘join the workforce’ and materially change the output of companies.” This was stated by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, on his blog in the beginning of the year. And he is not alone in his enthusiasm. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce are making significant investments in AI agents that can perform tasks independently, marking a new era for business applications. In this blog, Eva Österlund explores the shift to autonomous AI agents; what does it mean, and how can businesses prepare?
What are autonomous AI agents?
Previous generations of AI have helped us make better decisions and create new content, but the third wave is about something much bigger. It is about AI taking over entire work processes. These are systems that can independently observe their environment, process information, and make decisions based on built-in rules or learned models. They can handle customer service inquiries, conduct risk assessments, or automate business decisions without human involvement.
AI investments are increasing, but so is uncertainty
Investments in AI are growing rapidly. Our State of Transformation report shows that upcoming initiatives are increasingly focused on AI, often through pilot projects. At the same time, many business leaders feel uncertain about how to navigate this development. Which investments will lead to real business value? What risks need to be managed?
Predictions vary. Klarna expects to halve its workforce in the coming years thanks to AI. Meanwhile, Gartner predicts that half of all companies developing their own large language models (LLMs) will abandon their initiatives before 2028 due to high costs and complexity. This highlights both the potential and the pitfalls of AI transformation.
How to turn AI into concrete business value
How can companies benefit from autonomous AI agents without getting stuck in complex and costly development projects? A pragmatic approach is to adopt modern business platforms that already have AI functionality built in.
For example, Salesforce has launched Agentforce, a solution that allows companies to build, customize, test, and deploy AI agents that support employees or perform tasks independently. These can range from a Personal Shopper Agent, which communicates with customers via WhatsApp, to a Finance Agent, which detects and manages fraud in real time.
The benefits of choosing an established platform are many, including faster development and shorter time-to-market. Additionally, large platform companies invest significantly more in development than any individual business can. In short, you have a ticket to ride along with the technology evolution.
AI agents are here to stay
Autonomous AI agents are not a question of if but when. Companies that find the right strategy early will create competitive advantages, while those that hesitate risk falling behind. The key is to strike a balance between experimentation and concrete implementation to maximize business value.
Klarna’s AI journey will be interesting to follow, but for companies looking to start their own journey today, my advice is simple: invest in modern business platforms where AI is already an integrated part, such as Salesforce.
About the author
Eva Österlund is a Senior Business Consultant providing guidance and best practices for CRM related initiatives. She is passionate about bridging IT and business by balancing people, processes, and technology. Eva also holds the Salesforce Agentforce Specialist Certificate, further reinforcing her expertise in CRM solutions.
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