6 ways Agentic AI is transforming the workplace

Over the past few years, innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) have been transforming the way we live, create, and work. Agentic AI goes above and beyond the capabilities of previous AI iterations, such as conversational and generative AI. It can observe, reason, make decisions, and execute tasks independently. Autonomous AI agents also learn and improve over time. 

So, how do AI agents improve productivity in the workplace? Today, we are going to take a look at six ways that companies are reaping the benefits of Agentic AI in workplaces. From enhanced decision-making to improved collaboration tools and so much more, we expect Agentic AI tools to become the industry standard across countless different verticals. 

Enhanced decision-making

Making decisions and planning for the future are essential pieces of a modern workplace. Today’s Agentic AI solutions support data-driven strategies that simplify and clarify every organization’s decision-making processes. AI tools can analyze vast data sets and produce robust analyses faster and more effectively than their human counterparts. Agentic AI can even transform data into actionable insights that inform forward-looking planning. 

For example, consider an IT department that is planning the next fiscal year’s budget. Autonomous AI tools can provide detailed insights about the company’s IT environment and inventory, allowing the team to predict how much to budget for software and hardware upgrades as well as where to scale back if there are resources that are not being fully utilized. 

Automation of routine tasks

According to McKinsey, over 90% of companies plan to increase their AI investments in the next three years. Why? One major reason is that AI agents in the workplace can greatly reduce manual workload across departments, automating routine tasks and freeing up human workers to focus on more complex or creative tasks. 

For example, consider Atera’s customer Leeds United Football Club. Prior to utilizing Atera to the fullest, they were dealing with an unmanageable support ticket volume. After leveraging Atera’s AI Copilot, however, they were able to reduce ticket volume by 35%. This allowed their technicians to provide better, faster service and increased user satisfaction in the process. 

That’s not the only automation success story we have seen with Copilot, either. Our customers at Spirit UK, an IT service provider for charitable and humanitarian organizations, used Copilot to improve ticket resolution efficiency. But they saw benefits across the board, including better IT environment monitoring, cost savings, and even improved client satisfaction rates. Copilot functioned like another team member, collaborating smoothly with the existing technicians to enhance overall productivity and efficiency. 

Image via Atera

Personalized employee experiences

One of the most prevalent Agentic AI trends is the move toward highly personalized employee experiences. AI agents can dynamically adapt to real-time data, making employees feel more seen, heard, and supported. When employees are happier in the workplace, productivity increases, too. Current innovations in the Agentic AI space include concepts like personalized onboarding programs, AI coaching programs, and task management assistants that can help streamline daily operations. 

Agentic AI tools can even be used from a managerial perspective, allowing workplace leadership to explore insights into team and individual performance. This can help identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for more training and personal development.  Employing Agentic AI in workplaces at scale represents a step forward in employee-centric planning and is expected to boost engagement, satisfaction, and retention rates. 

Fun fact: You’ll see another exciting application of Agentic AI for enhanced personalization on the customer side of the business. Agentic AI is expected to revolutionize customer service due to unprecedented levels of customization ability with interactions tailored directly to end users. For example, a shampoo company could use Agentic customer service to determine where the end user is and autonomously offer haircare advice specific to their climate.

Improved collaboration tools

With the dawn of the agentic workforce, AI agents can facilitate seamless communication. These agents can integrate smoothly into human workflows, enabling enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing. Of course, it is equally important to ensure that teams receive adequate training regarding how to leverage the benefits of Agentic AI in workplaces. 

Effective implementation of Agentic AI at scale will require company leaders to step up and focus on retraining and upskilling their human assets. This will equip employees to adapt to the changing face of the workplace, developing both hard and soft skills to effectively collaborate with the newly introduced agentic workforce. In their report on AI in the workplace, McKinsey & Company discovered that while employees are mentally prepared for the Agentic AI revolution, they feel that their professional training lags behind. 

Image via McKinsey & Company

Proactive problem solving

Agentic AI tools are renowned for anticipating and addressing issues before they escalate. One use case here is in technology-related issues. Agentic AI tools observe and process real-time data, continuously monitoring system performance and detecting anomalies before they escalate and become critical problems. For instance, AI agents might recognize slowed response times, unusual data access patterns, or other abnormal activity. These factors could suggest downtime on the horizon or even a cybersecurity risk. 

The agentic workforce can not only notice these abnormalities but also triage the problem without human intervention. When human intervention is necessary, AI agents (like Atera’s IT Autopilot) will elevate the issue to the appropriate technician or stakeholder. This mitigates risks for the company in terms of both productivity and security, and it pays for itself. IBM reports that the average cost of a data breach is a whopping $4.9 million. 

The proactive insights of AI agents in the workplace are not just related to cybersecurity, however. There are also logistics and product management applications that can transform a company’s operations, all while protecting the bottom line. 

For example, AI agents can analyze real-time data about supply chain concerns or global shortages of an item. From this data, they can catalyze dynamic pricing and even change estimated order ship times. The eCommerce industry is sure to benefit from these capabilities, and we believe other verticals will, too. 

Image via SCMDOJO

Continuous learning and adaptation

One of the most exciting pieces of the AI puzzle is how Agentic AI evolves with organizational needs. These tools continuously learn from data, feedback, and changing contexts. Unlike the static automation tools of the past, AI agents are designed to adapt over time, getting better and better with each usage. They can refine the decision-making processes and interactions to hone their skill sets and ensure they are pursuing their predetermined goals. 

A great example in the cybersecurity space? Adaptive endpoint protection. Because Agentic AI remembers past actions, learns from data, and refines its approach over time, it is able to serve as a strong defense against both new and emerging threats. IT tools that are powered by Agentic AI grow more and more effective with ongoing use.

Plus, all of this is possible while cutting costs. The agentic workforce improves efficiency across the board, from vendor procurement to ticket resolution and from automated patch management to workload balancing – all the while, getting better and better at what it does. It is imperative for workplace leaders to lean into the Agentic AI movement, embracing these tools as dynamic partners that can grow and change alongside the organization.

Embrace the workplace transformation with Agentic AI

The way we work has been revolutionized since the introduction of Agentic AI through autonomous observation, reasoning, decision-making, and learning. In a time where efficiency can make or break an organization, Agentic AI is giving teams ranging in size from small businesses to enterprise-level organizations the keys to work with efficiency.

The future of work will be led by those who implement Agentic AI early, with those who don’t being left behind, scrambling to keep up.

With the IT industry being no different, IT teams need to stay ahead by taking advantage of technologies like Agentic AI. That’s why, at Atera, we offer a 30-day free trial with no credit card required for anyone who wants to see Copilot or Autopilot in action.