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Let's talk about AI agents – they're about to change the game for businesses in a big way. While we've seen tech shifts before, this one's moving fast, and it's going to reshape how companies and customers interact with technology.

What Are AI Agents and Why Should Businesses Care?

Most of us think of AI as those chatbots that answer questions or write content. But AI agents take things way further. Marie Haynes puts it simply: "An agent is an AI tool that can do things for you, that can take action for you."

What makes agents different from your regular AI tools? They can:

• Take autonomous actions on your behalf
• Maintain memory about you and your preferences
• Connect with tools and APIs to accomplish tasks
• Communicate with other agents

This isn't just theoretical technology. Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently predicted that "within two to three years, agentic solutions will be deeply embedded into our workflow." Similarly, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis stated that agents will "fundamentally change how we use the internet within the next couple of years."

Why are these specialized AI helpers so powerful? Haynes explains it's like building a team: "Each of these will be trained to do one specific role and do that role well. And then eventually these agents will talk to each other and combine, get things done by working with each other, just like a company."

The Rise of Agent-to-Agent Communication

The real game-changer here is how these agents will talk to each other. Google just announced an agent-to-agent protocol that lets different AI systems communicate and work together.

Imagine onboarding a new employee. Instead of scheduling meetings with HR, payroll, and IT, an onboarding agent would coordinate with specialized agents in each department to handle all necessary tasks. As Haynes described, "a lot of the administrative tasks in a company become much quicker to do because of agents. You have to do less paperwork. You don't need people necessarily there to answer questions."

This isn't just about automation in the traditional sense. These systems actually understand their domain and can handle unexpected situations. Paxton Gray makes this distinction clear: "It's not the automation of work... it's the automation with the knowledge domain behind it."

The impact will be felt everywhere, not just at work. Gray paints a picture of what this might look like: "My wife will have an agent and my employer does, and I do, and it knows my calendar. It also knows my wife's calendar and knows my employer policy. And it also knows my interests and it knows whether in different places and events in different places."

Imagine your agent suggesting a trip to Bali because it checked with your calendar, your partner's schedule, your work policies, the weather, and flight prices – all without you even asking. Pretty cool, right?

How Businesses Can Prepare for the Agent Economy

So what should businesses do to get ready? Haynes has some practical advice: "Encourage all of your employees to be using AI in some capacity at least once or more times a day."

Think of it like learning a new language – you can't get fluent by studying once a month. Regular practice builds competency across your team and helps identify practical applications specific to your business.

Another key recommendation is designating someone to track developments in AI – essentially creating an AI opportunity scout for your organization. This person can filter through the constant stream of updates and identify which ones actually matter for your business.

The current moment resembles social media's early days around 2005. Back then, businesses couldn't immediately capitalize on platforms like Facebook, but forward-thinking companies were positioning themselves for the shift that was coming. Similarly, today's experimentation with agents builds capabilities that will pay off as the technology matures.

Expect some bumps along the way. The path to effective AI implementation isn't about flipping a switch – it's an iterative process of learning, adjusting, and improving. The organizations that start this journey now will develop valuable expertise that late adopters will struggle to match.

Transforming Customer Interactions Through Agents

Marketing and shopping are going to look really different with agents in the mix. Instead of people browsing websites or reading reviews, their personal agents will just talk directly to company agents or expert agents.

This means big changes for affiliate marketers and content creators. The affiliate model will likely evolve from linking to products to providing specialized agent interactions. Imagine paying for an ad that says "speak to our running shoe expert agent" rather than just displaying a banner with product images.

The key differentiator will be actual expertise, not just information gathering. Generic content that simply collects widely available information won't be valuable when AI can already do that effectively. What will matter is fresh experiences and new perspectives that AI can't generate on its own.

Advertising will evolve from static banners and text ads to conversational interactions. Companies might offer free chats with their AI expert agents, with an option to upgrade to human consultation for more complex issues.

One of the most exciting possibilities is how agents could transform product development. Imagine a world where agent networks can identify that 25,000 consumers are actively looking for self-lacing shoes and are ready to purchase them immediately. This kind of instant market intelligence could dramatically accelerate innovation cycles and help companies build products with guaranteed demand.

Looking Ahead: Practical Next Steps for Organizations

For businesses ready to explore agent development, Google recently released the Agent Development Kit. This tool makes it easier to experiment with creating your own agents, even for those with limited coding experience. The interface is designed to be approachable, with step-by-step guidance that can help newcomers build basic agent functionality.

While it's probably too early to invest heavily in building production-ready agents, experimenting with the technology provides valuable learning opportunities. The current technology will continue to improve, making today's experiments more about learning the concepts than creating finished products.

The key is maintaining awareness and adaptability. Many businesses can see the potential but struggle to identify concrete applications right now. That inflection point is coming, though, and organizations that have developed AI literacy will be positioned to capitalize when it arrives.

The agent transformation may still be in its early stages, but businesses that invest in understanding and experimenting with this technology now will have a significant advantage as these systems become increasingly embedded in our digital infrastructure. The time to prepare is now.

Key Takeaways

• Start learning now: Dive into agents and understand how they work, even if you're not implementing them immediately
• Build organizational AI literacy: Like social media in 2005, the full benefits aren't immediate, but preparation is essential
• Expect business model changes: The shift from user-initiated searches to agent-mediated interactions will transform marketing
• Focus on expertise, not just information: As AI handles information aggregation, unique expertise becomes more valuable
• Experiment with available tools: Use frameworks like Google's Agent Development Kit to start building experimental agents
• Prepare for agent-to-agent commerce: Begin thinking about how your business will operate when agents transact with other agents
• Stay adaptable: The technology is evolving rapidly, so maintaining flexibility is crucial for success

The businesses that thrive in this new era won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets, but those who start exploring the possibilities now and develop the organizational knowledge needed to capitalize on these tools as they mature.