AI Agents

Key Takeaway:

In 2024 and beyond, AI entities designed to perceive their environment and take actions in order to achieve specific goals, will revolutionize multiple industries by enhancing interactions and operational efficiencies. These are known as AI agents. In e-commerce, AI sales agents reduce customer acquisition costs through advanced negotiation, while GenAI App Stores and humanoid robots are transforming consumer experiences and manufacturing productivity. However, adoption varies, with significant potential for growth in sectors like AI-driven customer service.

Trend Type: Social & Business

Sub-trends: AI Agent, AI sales agents flood ecommerce, GenAI App Stores, Ask AI, Generative Humans, AI Chatbots, Humanoid Robots

December, 2024 • Less than 4 min read

The concept of AI agents is gaining momentum, catalyzing profound transformations across various sectors. These agents, designed to execute multiple tasks efficiently, are shaping the future of interaction between humans and machines, paving the way for an era where digital assistance is not just available but essential. In the e-commerce sector, AI sales agents are becoming indispensable, given their cost-effective customer engagement and acquisition. Advances in natural language processing (NLP) now enable AI bots not only to interact but also to negotiate prices and upsell, boosting customer engagement significantly. This trend is set to expand, with more AI sales agents expected to be integrated into e-commerce and social channels.
Specialized Bots
The rise of AI agents is also giving birth to a new ecosystem of specialized bots, plugins, and extensions. Major AI platforms, such as OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Bard, Amazon’s Alexa, and Meta’s chatbots, are evolving into centralized nodes for applications – growing the ecosystem of GenAI App Stores. These platforms allow consumers to augment their digital tools with specialized bots, plugins, and extensions. OpenAI released plugins for ChatGPT in May 2023, while Google’s Bard and Amazon also enhancing their platforms, making them capable of supporting third-party extensions and AI agents.
Consumer Expectations
In addition, consumer attitudes towards AI are also evolving. According to a recent global survey by Euromonitor, 42% of users are comfortable with voice assistants that provide personalized product information and suggestions, although only 17% trust these systems to handle complex customer service queries. This shift in consumer expectations reflects a broader trend towards automation and personalized digital interactions. However, the adoption of AI chatbots in customer service has been slower than anticipated. Despite their potential, only 8% of customers have used a chatbot for their most recent customer service interactions, according to Brandwatch’s report, although there was an 85% increase in positive sentiments towards AI and chatbots from April to October 2023.
Data Management
Moreover, AI is revolutionizing the way businesses manage and interact with data. Generative AI, especially through advanced chatbots, is transforming businesses’ approach to knowledge management and customer interaction. These AI systems can synthesize vast amounts of information, remember interactions, and even suggest new queries, which is disrupting long-standing business functions like marketing and product discovery. For instance, a recent Gartner survey found that 47% of digital workers struggle to find necessary information, a gap that AI could significantly bridge.
Humanoid Robots
Lastly, the impact of AI extends beyond digital realms into physical automation, as seen in the advancements of humanoid robots. Companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla are leading in this area, focusing heavily on manufacturing sectors where humanoid robots can significantly increase productivity—a point underscored by BMW’s reported 85% improvement in productivity through the integration of robots and machine vision. 

Use Cases

Coca-Cola Y3000

Ask AI: With Y3000, Coca-cola turned consumers into co-creators, leveraging data on people’s emotions, aspirations and colour and flavour preferences. Motto being: “Have you ever wondered what Frozen Coke from the Year 3000 would taste like? Together with AI, we have made that happen. Taste the future and feel the freeze.

Electronic Health Record Using GPT-4

Ask AI: In June 2023, the electronic health record software company Epic integrated GPT-4 into its products to allow clinicians to speedily generate summaries of patient charts.

Walmart Speaks Retail

AI Chatbots : Walmart is harnessing the power of Generative AI to help customers find their desired products quickly and make confident purchase decisions. Walmart leveraged AI/ML to build Natural Language Processing (NLP) models that effectively speak retail, or even more specifically, speak Walmart retail.

Boston Dynamics' Humanoid Robot

Humanoid Robot: Boston Dynamics has recently revelead the next generation of humanoid robots—a fully electric Atlas robot designed for real-world applications. The new Atlas builds on decades of research and furthers our commitment to delivering the most capable, useful mobile robots solving the toughest challenges in industry today: with Spot, with Stretch, and now with Atlas.

Use Cases

Coca-Cola Y3000

Ask AI: With Y3000, Coca-cola turned consumers into co-creators, leveraging

Electronic Health Record Using GPT-4

Ask AI: In June 2023, the electronic health record software

Walmart Speaks Retail

AI Chatbots : Walmart is harnessing the power of Generative

Boston Dynamics' Humanoid Robot

Humanoid Robot: Boston Dynamics has recently revelead the next generation

AI Agent: Benedict Evans
AI sales agents flood ecommerce: CBInsights Emerging Tech Trends
GenAI App Stores: eMarketer Tech Trends to Watch
Ask AI: Euromonitor Digital Shopper Trends
Generative Humans: Accenture Tech Trends, Deloitte Tech Trends
AI Chatbots: Brandwatch (Ex-Falcon) Digital Marketing Trends
Humanoid Robots: CBInsights Emerging Tech Trends, MIT Strategy Summit Report

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