Today’s artificial intelligence (AI) solutions may be capable of handling isolated tasks. But as these systems begin to communicate with each other, something deeper is being born.
AI-powered automated agents or assistants, which are already in widespread use, are beginning to communicate with each other, creating powerful ecosystems that are poised to reshape the way people interact with technology. This transformation, in turn, will create demand for skilled individuals who can develop, supervise and establish guardrails for these agent networks.
This is what consultant Accenture, whose researchers have published an analysis on the rise of agent ecosystems, says. The report, authored by Paul Daugherty, Adam Burden and Michael Biltz, all with Accenture, says technology is becoming more human and intuitive. “We are moving towards a world where the technology around us will be increasingly ubiquitous, but also increasingly invisible,” they say.
“Automated systems will make decisions and act on their own”
The rise of agent ecosystems — vast networks of interconnected AI — “will push companies to think about their intelligence and automation strategy in a fundamentally different way,” Daugherty and his co-authors say. These ecosystems will grow as AI moves from performing isolated tasks to supporting agents “who, with appropriate supervision, can work with each other and act as proxies for people and businesses.
These connected, AI-enabled agents “not only assist and advise us, but also take decisive action on our behalf in the physical and digital worlds.”
Agent ecosystems will amplify productivity to new levels, the report co-authors continue. As AI evolves into agents, “automated systems will make decisions and act on their own. Agents will not only advise humans, they will act on their behalf. AI will continue to generate text, images and information, but the agents will decide for themselves what to do with them.
Agents “will only have value to the extent that humans guide them”
The authors cite DoNotPay, “a company designed to help consumers save money, from contesting traffic tickets to identifying unused subscriptions,” as an example of agent-driven services.
However, agents “will only be valuable to the extent that humans guide them. Human knowledge and reasoning will give one network of agents the advantage over another,” the researchers warn.
Those responsible for building and managing agent networks will need to be able to set guidelines. “Humans must integrate rules, knowledge and reasoning skills, then rigorously test agents to ensure they are ready,” insists the Accenture team. “As agent ecosystems evolve, humans have two primary responsibilities: instilling trust in semi-autonomous systems, building agent support systems, and refining machine reasoning.”
“Your human talent is responsible for building this trust”
What is clear is that the decisions your employees make, for better or worse, are about to be amplified, Daugherty and his co-authors point out: “A company’s level of confidence in its autonomous agents will determine the value those agents can create. Your human talent is responsible for building that trust.”
Although AI is primarily a tool for handling narrow tasks, eventually “AI agents will run our businesses,” the report predicts. “It’s up to us to make sure they don’t run amok. Given the pace of AI evolution, the time to start integrating your agents is now.”
Source: “ZDNet.com”