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Salesforce and Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines (SIA), a Headline Partner of the APEX FTE Asia Expo in Singapore on 11-12 November 2025, is teaming up with Salesforce to co-develop cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for the airline industry. This collaboration, centered at the Salesforce AI Research hub in Singapore, aims to deliver greater value and innovative benefits to the sector. As part of this initiative, SIA is integrating Salesforce’s Agentforce, Einstein in Service Cloud, and Data Cloud into its customer case management system, enabling the airline to provide more consistent, personalised, and efficient service to its customers. SIA will deploy Agentforce, an AI system that uses autonomous agents to handle specific tasks, streamlining customer service operations. This allows SIA’s customer service representatives to focus on delivering enhanced, personalised attention during customer interactions. Data Cloud, Salesforce’s hyperscale data engine, powers Agentforce by consolidating relevant data, enabling AI agents to provide customer service representatives with tailored advice and solutions, further enhancing the customer experience. Mr. Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines, highlighted the airline’s commitment to innovation: “As the world’s leading digital airline, Singapore Airlines is dedicated to investing in and leveraging advanced technologies to enhance customer experiences, improve operational efficiencies, drive revenue generation, and boost employee productivity. Over the past 18 months, the SIA Group has been an early adopter of Generative AI solutions, developing over 250 use cases and implementing around 50 initiatives across our end-to-end operations. Salesforce is a pioneer in Agentic AI, and integrating Agentforce, Einstein in Service Cloud, and Data Cloud into our customer case management system marks the first step in our collaboration. Together, we will co-create AI solutions that drive meaningful and impactful change, setting new standards for service excellence in the airline industry.” In addition to Agentforce, SIA will utilise Einstein Generative AI capabilities within Service Cloud to summarise customers’ previous interactions with the airline. This feature provides customer service representatives with actionable insights, enabling them to better understand and anticipate customer needs, tailor solutions, and reduce average response times. The result is a more efficient, proactive, and personalised customer service experience. Marc Benioff, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Salesforce, emphasised the transformative potential of this partnership: “The rise of digital labour, powered by autonomous AI agents, is not just reimagining the customer experience – it’s transforming business. We’re thrilled to partner with Singapore Airlines, a trailblazer in this AI revolution, to elevate their already outstanding customer service to unprecedented heights, augment their employees, and collaborate on groundbreaking AI solutions for the airline industry. With our deeply unified digital labour platform, we’re bringing humans together with trusted, autonomous AI agents, unlocking new levels of productivity, innovation, and growth.” This collaboration between Singapore Airlines and Salesforce represents a significant step forward in the airline industry’s adoption of AI-driven solutions. By combining SIA’s industry expertise with Salesforce’s innovative AI technologies, the partnership aims to redefine customer service standards, enhance operational efficiency, and set a new benchmark for excellence in the aviation sector. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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AI and Robotics Revolution

The world’s leading CEOs are increasingly preparing for the imminent AI and robotics revolution, signaling a profound shift in the future of work. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently offered a compelling vision of this future, where the boundaries between human and digital labor become increasingly blurred. In a striking declaration, Benioff stated that he would be the last Salesforce CEO to oversee a workforce composed solely of humans, underscoring the transformative impact of AI and robotics on the workplace. His remarks, which touched on the “digital labor revolution,” the multi-trillion-dollar economic opportunity it represents, and the rise of “agents” and robots, provide a thought-provoking glimpse into the evolving relationship between humans and technology in the professional sphere. Benioff elaborated on the concept of the “digital labor revolution,” describing it as a monumental opportunity worth between three and twelve trillion dollars. He emphasized that this revolution encompasses not only AI-driven agents and the “agentic age” but also the dawn of a “robotic age.” He highlighted China’s advancements in robotics as particularly noteworthy, pointing to the global competition in this rapidly evolving field. “The digital labor revolution is this three to twelve trillion dollar opportunity,” Benioff explained. “It involves agents and digital agents and the agentic age, but it also beholds a robotic age. And in the robotic age, who is going to make the robots? I think that that’s very impressive what the Chinese have been able to do with this robotic age. So the robots, the agents, AI—this is all part and parcel of the future.” When questioned about the implications for the workforce, Benioff made it clear that the integration of robots and AI agents into the workplace is inevitable. He envisions a future where humans work alongside these technologies in a collaborative manner. “The robotic age means for the workforce that we are going to work hand in hand with agents and robots,” he said. “I’ve told my employees, my customers, I’ll be the last CEO of Salesforce who only managed humans.” Benioff’s statement is more than a prediction; it is an acknowledgment of a rapidly approaching reality. His reference to the multi-trillion-dollar economic potential of AI and robotics highlights the scale of the opportunity, while his recognition of China’s progress in robotics underscores the global race to lead in this transformative domain. The concept of the “agentic age,” where AI agents operate autonomously, further underscores the shifting dynamics of the workplace, as traditional roles and processes are redefined by technological advancements. The implications of Benioff’s remarks are far-reaching. The integration of AI and robotics into the workforce will not simply augment human labor; it will fundamentally reshape it. This transformation will require a significant shift in mindset for both workers and leaders. Employees will need to adapt to collaborating with AI-powered agents and robots, acquiring new skills to remain relevant in an evolving job market. Companies, meanwhile, will face the challenge of integrating and managing a hybrid workforce, ensuring seamless collaboration between human and digital workers. Ethical considerations, such as the potential for job displacement and the responsible use of AI, will also need to be addressed proactively. Benioff’s words serve as a wake-up call, urging businesses and individuals alike to prepare for a future where humans and machines work side by side. This new era promises unprecedented levels of productivity and innovation, but it also demands careful planning and adaptation. As the lines between human and digital labor continue to blur, the organizations and individuals that embrace this change and invest in the necessary skills and infrastructure will be best positioned to thrive in the age of AI and robotics. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Shift From AI Agents to AI Agent Tool Use

Building Scalable AI Agents

Building Scalable AI Agents: Infrastructure, Planning, and Security The key building blocks of AI agents—planning, tool integration, and memory—demand sophisticated infrastructure to function effectively in production environments. As the technology advances, several critical components have emerged as essential for successful deployments. Development Frameworks & Architecture The ecosystem for AI agent development has matured, with several key frameworks leading the way: While these frameworks offer unique features, successful agents typically share three core architectural components: Despite these strong foundations, production deployments often require customization to address high-scale workloads, security requirements, and system integrations. Planning & Execution Handling complex tasks requires advanced planning and execution flows, typically structured around: An agent’s effectiveness hinges on its ability to: ✅ Generate structured plans by intelligently combining tools and knowledge (e.g., correctly sequencing API calls for a customer refund request).✅ Validate each task step to prevent errors from compounding.✅ Optimize computational costs in long-running operations.✅ Recover from failures through dynamic replanning.✅ Apply multiple validation strategies, from structural verification to runtime testing.✅ Collaborate with other agents when consensus-based decisions improve accuracy. While multi-agent consensus models improve accuracy, they are computationally expensive. Even OpenAI finds that running parallel model instances for consensus-based responses remains cost-prohibitive, with ChatGPT Pro priced at $200/month. Running majority-vote systems for complex tasks can triple or quintuple costs, making single-agent architectures with robust planning and validation more viable for production use. Memory & Retrieval AI agents require advanced memory management to maintain context and learn from experience. Memory systems typically include: 1. Context Window 2. Working Memory (State Maintained During a Task) Key context management techniques: 3. Long-Term Memory & Knowledge Management AI agents rely on structured storage systems for persistent knowledge: Advanced Memory Capabilities Standardization efforts like Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) are emerging to streamline memory integration, but challenges remain in balancing computational efficiency, consistency, and real-time retrieval. Security & Execution As AI agents gain autonomy, security and auditability become critical. Production deployments require multiple layers of protection: 1. Tool Access Control 2. Execution Validation 3. Secure Execution Environments 4. API Governance & Access Control 5. Monitoring & Observability 6. Audit Trails These security measures must balance flexibility, reliability, and operational control to ensure trustworthy AI-driven automation. Conclusion Building production-ready AI agents requires a carefully designed infrastructure that balances:✅ Advanced memory systems for context retention.✅ Sophisticated planning capabilities to break down tasks.✅ Secure execution environments with strong access controls. While AI agents offer immense potential, their adoption remains experimental across industries. Organizations must strategically evaluate where AI agents justify their complexity, ensuring that they provide clear, measurable benefits over traditional AI models. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce Unveils Agentforce 2dx

Salesforce Unveils Agentforce 2dx

Salesforce Unveils Agentforce 2dx: A Major Leap in AI Agent Capabilities Proactive, Autonomous AI Agents to Bridge the Skills Gap Salesforce has announced a major upgrade to its AI agent platform with Agentforce 2dx, a next-generation solution designed to move beyond reactive, chat-based interactions. With enhanced efficiency, agility, and scalability, Agentforce 2dx enables AI agents to operate autonomously, integrating seamlessly with existing data systems, business logic, and user interfaces. The Future of Work: AI Agents Filling the Labor Gap “Companies today have more work than workers, and Agentforce is stepping in to fill the gap,” said Adam Evans, EVP and GM of Salesforce’s AI Platform. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that rely on rigid programming or manual prompts, agentic AI dynamically adapts to live data and evolving business needs, making it far more effective in real-world applications. Introducing AgentExchange: A Marketplace for AI Agent Templates Alongside Agentforce 2dx, Salesforce is launching AgentExchange, an online marketplace where businesses can access and share pre-built AI agent templates and actions. From launch, AgentExchange will feature: The AI Agent Race Heats Up Salesforce’s announcement comes amid intensified industry focus on AI agents. Microsoft and AWS have recently made significant moves, with Microsoft research revealing that 72% of business leaders expect AI agents to be fully integrated into their operations soon—21% within the next year and 39% within two years. Meanwhile, AWS is reportedly forming a dedicated AI agent division, led by Swami Sivasubramanian, VP of AI and Data, reporting directly to CEO Matt Garman. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has been vocal about the future of AI agents, predicting that tomorrow’s CEOs will need to manage both human employees and AI-powered agents. With Agentforce 2dx and AgentExchange, Salesforce is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation, empowering businesses to automate, scale, and innovate like never before. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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The Evolving Role of AI Agents in Key Industries

Legal Services The future of AI in the legal field lies in deeper collaboration between human lawyers and AI systems. AI agents will handle routine document processing, contract analysis, and compliance checks, while legal professionals focus on strategy, negotiation, and final validation. This approach ensures efficiency without compromising accuracy or legal accountability. Finance The financial sector has been an early adopter of AI agents, leveraging them for market analysis, trading, and risk management. 1. Market Analysis & Research 2. Trading & Investment 3. Risk Management Current Limitations: While results are promising, financial AI applications require strict risk management and regulatory oversight. Most firms start with narrowly scoped use cases—such as single-asset trading—before expanding into complex portfolio management. Research & Science AI agents are transforming scientific research by accelerating discovery while maintaining rigorous methodology. A multi-agent approach is proving valuable throughout the research lifecycle: This framework has already shown success in chemistry, where AI agents have identified novel catalysts and reaction pathways. With Google’s Gemini Deep Research, AI-driven knowledge synthesis is expanding beyond specialized fields to broader scientific domains. Challenges & Considerations: The key to success is integrating AI agents into existing research methodologies while preserving scientific rigor. Emerging AI Agent Trends Across industries, three core patterns define the evolution of AI agents: While AI agents hold immense potential, most industries remain in an experimental phase of adoption. Many organizations start with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) before advancing to fully autonomous agents. The Challenge of Implementation Adopting AI agents requires careful evaluation of their benefits vs. complexity: Organizations must balance innovation, security, and operational efficiency to maximize the impact of AI agents in their industries. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Financial Services Sector

Future of Financial Services

The Future of Financial Services: AI Agents, Consumer Trust, and Digital Transformation Fewer than half of consumers are fully satisfied with the service they receive from banks, insurance providers, and wealth management advisors. This underscores the urgent need for financial service institutions (FSIs) to prioritize standout customer experiences—both human and digital—leveraging AI agents to enhance personalization, efficiency, and responsiveness. Why Customer Experience is Key Consumer loyalty has long been driven by competitive pricing, fees, and interest rates. However, with declining rates making promotional incentives less feasible, FSIs are refocusing on customer service as a key differentiator. AI-powered digital experiences provide an opportunity to exceed customer expectations, offering speed, convenience, and hyper-personalization at scale. A significant portion of consumers are willing to stay with an institution that offers an exceptional experience, even if it raises its rates or fees. For instance, 46% of consumers—and 55% of high earners in the U.S. (households making over $100,000 per year)—value experience over pricing alone. Digital self-service is a primary component of this enhanced experience, with many consumers preferring to complete tasks online rather than through traditional phone or in-branch interactions. Institutions like Credit Unions are already meeting this demand by deploying self-service tools that provide instant resolutions, 24/7. AI Agents: Transforming the FSI Landscape AI agents represent a major leap forward in customer service, automating interactions and resolving issues without human intervention. However, trust in these AI-driven systems remains a work in progress. Only 41% of wealth management clients report being fully satisfied with their institution’s speed and effectiveness, and satisfaction levels are even lower among banking and insurance customers. Despite some skepticism, AI adoption is accelerating. Half of consumers expect AI to significantly impact their financial relationships, a belief even more pronounced among Millennials and Gen Z. The percentage of customers anticipating AI-driven transaction speed improvements has risen from 46% in 2023 to 65% today. Yet, consumer education on AI’s capabilities remains a challenge. AI agents have the potential to act as financial advisors, enhancing financial literacy, optimizing savings, and even increasing earnings. Salesforce’s Agentforce aims to bridge this gap, offering digital financial assistants that can answer questions like, “Am I saving enough for retirement?” or “Can I afford this vacation?”—delivering expert insights instantly and at scale. Building Trust in AI-Powered Finance Despite AI’s promise, trust issues persist. While 54% of consumers express confidence in AI agents, only 10% fully trust them. This skepticism is fueled by concerns over data privacy, security, and transparency. Many consumers are wary of how FSIs handle their personal information and are seeking greater clarity on AI’s role in financial decision-making. A Salesforce study revealed that 73% of consumers want to know when they’re interacting with AI, highlighting the importance of transparency in AI implementation. “For AI to succeed in financial services, trust and compliance must be built into the foundation,” said Eran Agrios, SVP & GM of Financial Services at Salesforce. “FSIs need to ensure their AI strategies are not only effective but also worthy of customer confidence.” AI in Action: Case Studies in Financial Services Financial institutions leveraging Agentforce are already seeing tangible benefits: Integrating Agentforce with ERP for Maximum Impact To maximize the potential of AI agents, FSIs must integrate them seamlessly into their broader enterprise ecosystems. Best practices for integration include: The Next Two Years: Defining the Future of AI in Finance As AI continues to disrupt the financial sector, FSIs that embrace AI-first strategies will outperform competitors in efficiency, security, and customer experience. Here’s what the future holds: The Takeaway Financial institutions that invest in AI-driven experiences today will define the future of finance. By adopting transparent, compliant, and consumer-centric AI strategies, FSIs can build trust, drive efficiency, and deliver exceptional customer experiences that set them apart in an increasingly AI-powered world. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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agents and copilots

When to Use AI Agents and Copilots

Do Organizations Need AI Agents or Copilots for These Use Cases? Organizations often explore AI solutions for specific operational needs. Three primary AI use cases include: The question arises: Which AI tools best suit these needs? Should an organization invest in a high-end AI subscription, such as ChatGPT Pro with the Operator agent ($200/month), or opt for ChatGPT Plus with the o3-mini reasoning model and copilot features, such as memory and custom GPTs? AI Tool Selection Criteria When evaluating AI agents versus AI copilots, key considerations include: A. The time and effort required to articulate the problem for the AI. B. The level of control preferred in the problem-solving process. C. The importance of achieving the most optimal outcome. Use Case 1: Shopping AI Agents Many existing AI shopping solutions are labeled as agents, but they do not exhibit true autonomy. Instead, they serve as assistants with limited capabilities. For instance, Perplexity’s “Shop Like a Pro” assists with selecting products but depends on vendor integration for completing purchases, rather than executing transactions autonomously. Despite current limitations, some users create their own AI shopping agents by integrating browser-based AI tools with no-code automation platforms like n8n, Zapier, or Make.com. These custom-built agents offer greater autonomy and versatility than off-the-shelf solutions. However, the need for AI agents in shopping remains debatable. The act of shopping often provides a sense of anticipation and engagement, which a fully autonomous AI agent could eliminate. In contrast, AI copilots can enhance the experience by reducing time investment while preserving user involvement. The same applies to vacation planning—while an AI agent could book optimal flights and accommodations, many users prefer a guided approach to maintain a sense of anticipation and control. Moreover, financial transactions should not be fully entrusted to AI agents due to potential risks. AI-powered form-filling can be beneficial, but human oversight remains essential. The decision to use an AI agent for shopping depends on how much involvement users wish to retain in the process. Use Case 2: Executive AI Assistant Many professionals seek AI-driven solutions to handle routine tasks such as scheduling, reminders, and email management. However, current AI assistants lack full autonomy in managing these activities comprehensively. For instance, Google’s Gemini Advanced provides AI-powered features in Google Calendar and Gmail, but its integration remains limited—requiring manual activation and lacking full interconnectivity between tasks. Similarly, Apple Intelligence offers fragmented AI functionalities rather than a seamless assistant experience. Some technically inclined users have developed custom executive assistants using automation tools. However, for the broader market, fully functional, user-friendly AI executive assistants are still in development by major tech companies. When evaluating the necessity of AI agents in routine tasks, the key factors include: Use Case 3: AI Research Deep research AI agents have significantly outperformed traditional search methods in both speed and accuracy, provided sufficient relevant data is available. Advanced AI-driven research tools, such as Perplexity Deep Research and Grok 3 DeepSearch, have demonstrated superior efficiency compared to manual search. Despite their capabilities, these agents often require refinement in their responses. AI-generated reports may focus on irrelevant details without proper guidance. However, many researchers find that leveraging AI significantly enhances the efficiency and breadth of their work. For organizations, the decision to utilize AI agents for research depends on their need for: While AI agents remain imperfect, they are rapidly evolving, particularly in deep research applications. As technology advances, their ability to support decision-making processes will likely continue to expand. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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AI Agents

AI Agents in Action: Real-World Applications

The true potential of AI agents lies in their practical use across industries. Let’s explore how different sectors are leveraging AI agents to solve real challenges. Software Development The shift from simple code completion to autonomous software development highlights AI’s expanding role in engineering. While GitHub Copilot introduced real-time coding assistance in 2021, today’s AI agents—like Devin—can manage end-to-end development, from setting up environments to deployment. Multi-agent frameworks, such as MetaGPT, showcase how specialized AI agents collaborate effectively: While AI agents lack human limitations, this shift raises fundamental questions about development practices shaped over decades. AI excels at tasks like prototyping and automated testing, but the true opportunity lies in rethinking software development itself—not just making existing processes faster. This transformation is already affecting hiring trends. Salesforce, for example, announced it will not hire new software engineers in 2025, citing a 30% productivity increase from AI-driven development. Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicts that by 2025, AI will reach the level of mid-level software engineers, capable of generating production-ready code. However, real-world tests highlight limitations. While Devin performs well on isolated tasks like API integrations, it struggles with complex development projects. In one evaluation, Devin successfully completed only 3 out of 20 full-stack tasks. In contrast, developer-driven workflows using tools like Cursor have proven more reliable, suggesting that AI agents are best used as collaborators rather than full replacements. Customer Service The evolution from basic chatbots to sophisticated AI service agents marks one of the most successful AI deployments to date. Research by Sierra shows that modern AI agents can handle complex tasks—such as flight rebookings and multi-step refunds—previously requiring multiple human agents, all while maintaining natural conversation flow. Key capabilities include: However, challenges remain, particularly in handling policy exceptions and emotionally sensitive situations. Many companies address this by limiting AI agents to approved knowledge sources and implementing clear escalation protocols. The most effective approach in production environments has been a hybrid model, where AI agents handle routine tasks and escalate complex cases to human staff. Sales & Marketing AI agents are now playing a critical role in structured sales and marketing workflows, such as lead qualification, meeting scheduling, and campaign analytics. These agents integrate seamlessly with CRM platforms and communication tools while adhering to business rules. For example, Salesforce’s Agentforce processes customer interactions, maintains conversation history, and escalates complex inquiries when necessary. 1. Sales Development 2. Marketing Operations Core capabilities: However, implementing AI in sales and marketing presents challenges: A hybrid approach—where AI manages routine tasks and data-driven decisions while humans focus on relationship-building and strategy—has proven most effective. Legal Services AI agents are also transforming the legal industry by processing complex documents and maintaining compliance across jurisdictions. Systems like Harvey can break down multi-month projects, such as S-1 filings, into structured workflows while ensuring regulatory compliance. Key capabilities: However, AI-assisted legal work faces significant challenges. Validation and liability remain critical concerns—AI-generated outputs require human review, and the legal responsibility for AI-assisted decisions is still unresolved. While AI excels at document processing and legal research, strategic decisions remain firmly in human hands. Final Thoughts Across industries, AI agents are proving their value in automation, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. However, fully autonomous systems are not yet replacing human expertise—instead, the most successful implementations involve AI-human collaboration, where agents handle repetitive tasks while humans oversee complex decision-making. As AI technology continues to evolve, businesses must strike the right balance between automation, control, and human oversight to maximize its potential. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce for Tailored Travel

New data from a YouGov survey, commissioned by Salesforce, reveals that Australian travellers are increasingly seeking customised travel experiences, with 59% expressing a desire for travel recommendations tailored to their individual profiles and preferences. The national survey, which included over 1,000 respondents, highlights a strong appetite for travel, with 66% of Australians planning to book travel online within the next six months. This includes 51% looking to book accommodation, 47% flights and transport, and 27% planning to secure tours or holiday packages. To demonstrate how AI can enhance travel experiences through human and autonomous collaboration, Salesforce partnered with TripADeal, an Australian online travel agency, to create a world-first AI immersive experience. Titled “What AI Was Meant to Be,” the showcase was held at Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD, offering a glimpse into the future of personalised travel. The survey findings indicate that younger generations are particularly drawn to personalised travel recommendations. Gen Z and Millennials show the highest interest, with 72% and 69% respectively expressing a preference for tailored travel options, compared to 54% of Gen X and 46% of Baby Boomers. Additionally, 27% of Gen Z and 31% of Millennials are “very interested” in such customised offerings. Geographically, residents of Australia’s five main capital cities are more likely to book travel online, with 85% indicating they would do so, compared to 75% of those living outside these regions. Similarly, 62% of city dwellers are interested in personalised trips, versus 54% of those in regional areas. To meet this growing demand for tailored travel experiences, TripADeal is leveraging Salesforce’s Agentforce platform. Leandro Perez, Salesforce’s SVP & CMO of Australia and New Zealand, commented on the partnership, stating, “The YouGov research shows us that there is a growing demand from Aussie travellers for personalised, curated travel recommendations, and that more Aussies than ever are booking travel online. For TripADeal, agentic AI is playing an important role in helping to meet this demand and redefining the overall customer experience the company provides.” Perez further explained how the collaboration between humans and AI agents is enhancing service efficiency: “Humans and autonomous AI agents are working together to deliver the very best outcome for TripADeal’s customers, allowing the company to scale customer experience and better support their travel consultants.” He also highlighted the broader implications of this technology, noting, “It’s a key component of our ongoing commitment to help marketers and customer experience leaders realise the possibilities and transformative outcomes they can achieve by harnessing the power of Agentforce. This level of personalisation and service will not just redefine the travel industry but all industries.” Agentforce enables TripADeal’s AI agents to act as virtual travel consultants, engaging with customers in natural language to understand their preferences and recommend suitable deals. For more complex queries, these AI agents seamlessly hand over to human consultants, ensuring a high standard of service quality. The AI-powered initiative was prominently featured at an interactive digital love lock wall in Martin Place. Visitors could interact with the AI agent to create a personalised digital love lock and design their dream holiday, with the chance to win a AUD $10,000 TripADeal voucher. Perez emphasised the significance of the activation, saying, “Through this activation, we wanted to showcase AI as it’s meant to be for every Australian business, especially those who are focused on supercharging their customer experience. It’s been amazing to see the interest the activation has generated across the board. From business owners to members of the general public, people are walking past and popping in to see what it’s all about, and they’re experiencing for themselves how easy it is to interact with the AI agent and build a dream holiday that is truly unique to them, which is core to TripADeal’s offering.” This collaboration between Salesforce and TripADeal underscores the transformative potential of AI in the travel industry, offering a glimpse into how technology can meet the growing demand for personalised travel solutions. By combining the strengths of human expertise and AI capabilities, the partnership is paving the way for a new era of customer experience in travel and beyond. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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The Rise of AI Agents

The Rise of AI Agents

The Rise of AI Agents: Salesforce’s Vision for a New Era of Business In just three months, more than 1,000 companies have deployed Salesforce AI agents, unlocking capabilities “they’ve never seen before” and setting the stage for game-changing business outcomes, according to CEO Marc Benioff. That’s a bold prediction—even for a visionary like Benioff, whose track record speaks for itself. But throughout our recent 25-minute conversation for the Cloud Wars CEO Outlook 2025 series, Benioff remained unwavering in his optimism about the AI-powered future. Agentic AI: The Force Driving Business Transformation According to Benioff, AI agents represent the next wave of business transformation, redefining how companies operate, innovate, and compete. “I’ve never been more excited about technology—this is an incredible moment in time,” Benioff said. He described AI agents as the bridge to a future where businesses engage with customers in ways previously thought possible only in science fiction. These AI-driven systems will help organizations operate at lower costs while improving customer relationships and key performance metrics. But Salesforce isn’t just selling this vision to customers—it’s living it. Benioff shared firsthand insights into how the company is leveraging AI to optimize its own operations, revealing lessons that could reshape how enterprises think about productivity and workforce planning. Digital Labor: A Multi-Trillion-Dollar Opportunity One of the most striking takeaways from our conversation was Salesforce’s approach to what Benioff calls “digital labor.” “For 25 years, Salesforce has helped businesses manage data. Now, we’re creating digital workers—AI agents that unlock entirely new ways to operate,” he said. This shift is already making an impact. Salesforce’s Agentforce AI now handles the bulk of the company’s customer support, transforming how its 9,000 service agents manage 36,000 weekly support inquiries: As a result, Salesforce is reallocating 2,000 support professionals to other roles—just one example of how AI is reshaping workforce dynamics. A Radical Rethink: No New Developers in 2025 Perhaps the most surprising revelation? Salesforce is pausing hiring for software engineers in 2025. Benioff explained that despite doubling its engineering team over the past five years, AI has driven a 30% increase in productivity. Rather than hiring more developers, Salesforce is leaning into AI-powered automation to accelerate software development. This shift raises fundamental questions about the future of work: Salesforce vs. Microsoft: Competing Visions for AI Agents AI agents are reshaping enterprise technology, but vendors have differing approaches. Benioff made it clear that Salesforce is taking a unique path—one he believes will ultimately lead the industry. Unlike Microsoft, which is deeply integrating AI within its core applications, Salesforce sees agents as an evolution of its CRM foundation, leveraging the vast 230-petabyte data ecosystem it manages for customers. “The businesses that are closest to their data will win,” Benioff said. “And we’re going to deliver capabilities that our customers have never seen before—ones that will thrill them out of their minds.” The Future: A Billion AI Agents As enterprises race to adopt AI, Benioff predicts an explosion in AI agent deployment. “In the next 12 months, we’ll see thousands of companies deploying up to a billion AI agents. And Salesforce will be the absolute leader in agentic technology for the enterprise,” he said. Benioff’s vision is clear: AI agents aren’t just an enhancement—they are the next frontier of business. And companies that embrace them will lead the way into a new era of efficiency, innovation, and growth. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Google and Salesforce Expand Partnership

Google and Salesforce Expand Partnership

Google and Salesforce Expand Partnership to Enhance AI Agent Capabilities Google and Salesforce are deepening their collaboration to provide customers with greater flexibility in AI agent deployment. This expanded partnership will integrate Google Gemini within Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, enabling AI agents to process images, audio, and video with advanced multimodal capabilities. Enhanced AI Functionality with Gemini Through this integration, AI agents will gain access to Gemini’s powerful models, allowing them to handle complex tasks with extended context windows and leverage real-time insights from Google Search via Vertex AI. This collaboration aims to empower businesses with AI solutions that are not limited to a single model provider, offering crucial flexibility in AI customization. Srini Tallapragada, Salesforce’s President and Chief Engineering and Customer Success Officer, emphasized that the integration offers customers the ability to choose the applications and models that best suit their needs. “Salesforce offers a complete enterprise-grade agentic AI platform that makes it easy to deploy new capabilities quickly and realize business value fast. Google Cloud is a pioneer in enterprise agentic AI, offering some of the most powerful models, agents, and AI development tools on the planet. Together, we are creating the best place for businesses to scale with digital labor.” Key Benefits of the Integration The partnership is set to deliver significant advantages for businesses, as outlined in the official announcement: Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, highlighted the benefits of this collaboration: “Our mutual customers have asked for seamless integration across Salesforce and Google Cloud. This expanded partnership enables them to accelerate AI transformations with state-of-the-art AI models, agentic AI, and advanced data analytics.” Strengthening Customer Service Integrations The partnership will also enhance the connection between Salesforce Service Cloud and Google Cloud’s Customer Engagement Suite, providing AI-driven improvements to customer support. Key upcoming features include: Expanding AI-Powered Decision-Making Beyond Gemini, Agentforce will integrate Google Search through Vertex AI, leveraging secure connections between Salesforce Data Cloud and Google BigQuery. This will enable AI agents to access real-time information for improved accuracy and decision-making. For example, in supply chain management, AI can track shipments, monitor inventory in Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and anticipate disruptions using real-time data on weather, port congestion, and geopolitical events. Additionally, joint customers will be able to utilize Salesforce’s unified platform—including Agentforce, Data Cloud, and Customer 360—on Google Cloud’s AI-optimized infrastructure. This integration ensures enhanced security through dynamic grounding, zero data retention, and toxicity detection via the Einstein Trust Layer. Businesses will also soon have the option to purchase Salesforce products via the Google Cloud Marketplace. More AI Innovations from Google and Salesforce Google recently announced the development of a personalized AI-powered chatbot that will be integrated into its devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. This tool will automatically answer calls, process requests, and respond on behalf of users. Meanwhile, Salesforce’s Service Assistant—formerly known as Salesforce Service Planner—has launched on Service Cloud. Designed to support live agents, it generates step-by-step plans for resolving customer inquiries by analyzing intent, case history, and customer context. For optimal performance, Salesforce recommends integrating it with Data Cloud and the contact center knowledge base. With this expanded partnership, Google and Salesforce are setting the stage for businesses to leverage cutting-edge AI technology, driving innovation and operational efficiency across industries. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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TDX Announcements for Agentforce

Salesforce Expands Agentforce AI, Strengthening Its Lead in Agentic AI Salesforce’s latest updates to its agentic AI platform, Agentforce, are set to elevate its position in the competitive AI market, potentially outpacing enterprise application rivals and hyperscalers like AWS, Google, IBM, ServiceNow, and Microsoft. The updates, introduced under Agentforce 2dx, enhance orchestration, development, testing, and deployment capabilities. According to Arnal Dayaratna, vice president of research at IDC, these advancements could propel Salesforce ahead of its competition in a manner similar to OpenAI’s early dominance in large language models (LLMs). Agentforce API Expands Platform Extensibility A key enhancement in Agentforce 2dx is the Agentforce API, designed to improve extensibility and facilitate the seamless integration of agentic AI technologies into digital solutions. “Without an API, all AI agentic capabilities remain locked into the Agentforce platform,” explained Jason Andersen, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “The API allows enterprises to build apps and agents with whatever they want.” Dion Hinchcliffe, CIO practice lead at The Futurum Group, sees this as a strategic move to drive adoption by removing usage constraints. While companies like Google and Microsoft have already introduced similar APIs, Salesforce differentiates itself by leveraging its deep CRM expertise, customer data, and business logic integration. “AI agents need contextual data to act effectively,” said Hinchcliffe. “While competitors will likely improve their integrations, Salesforce’s extensive background in business logic and automation will be difficult to match quickly.” Accelerating Enterprise Adoption with New Features Beyond the API, Agentforce 2dx includes enhancements like the Topic Center, MuleSoft integrations, Tableau Semantics, and Slack integrations, aimed at simplifying custom agent development, workflow integration, and deployment. Empowering Developers to Scale Agentic AI Salesforce is also focusing on developers with tools that provide greater control over agent creation, testing, and deployment. Key updates include: “Salesforce is encouraging hands-on experimentation, a strategy commonly used by cloud service providers,” said Cameron Marsh, senior analyst at Nucleus Research. Andersen sees this as a bold move in the SaaS market, positioning Salesforce as a direct competitor to Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, which also offer developer-centric AI tools. Additionally, Salesforce introduced Testing Center, a low-code tool for enterprises to test agents before deployment. Scaling AI Agent Deployments with Confidence Hyoun Park, chief analyst at Amalgam Insights, emphasized the importance of these tools for scaling AI deployments. “One of the biggest challenges in agentic AI is simulating and testing interactions at scale,” Park noted. “With these capabilities, companies no longer need to manually test or build custom tools to manage AI agents.” Proven Market Traction Salesforce reports it has secured 5,000 deals with Agentforce, with customers like The Adecco Group, Engine, OpenTable, Oregon Humane Society, Precina, and Vivint already seeing immediate value. With Agentforce 2dx, Salesforce is reinforcing its leadership in agentic AI, giving enterprises more control, scalability, and integration capabilities to drive innovation in AI-powered automation. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Rise of Generative AI Agents

Rise of Generative AI Agents

The Rise of Generative AI Agents: Redefining Business Operations Imagine a future where Generative AI doesn’t just answer questions but proactively solves complex business challenges. This isn’t science fiction—it’s an imminent reality. Generative AI agents are set to revolutionize operations, from streamlining supply chains to optimizing product development and transforming customer interactions. Having spent over a year developing AI applications and autonomous agents, we’ve witnessed firsthand how these technologies reshape business processes. From AI-driven support systems handling customer queries with unprecedented efficiency to autonomous agents optimizing operations and decision-making, these innovations are not merely enhancing existing workflows—they are creating entirely new ways of working. The AI-Driven Transformation Consider an AI agent that does more than schedule meetings. It understands work context, suggests key attendees, prepares briefing documents, and even proposes agenda items based on recent company developments. Or imagine a manufacturing agent that not only monitors production lines but predicts maintenance needs, optimizes resource allocation in real-time, and collaborates with design teams to suggest product improvements based on production data. This AI-driven shift is creating demand for two pivotal roles: the AI Agent Product Manager and the AI Agent Engineer. These professionals are not just architects of the AI-augmented future but integral collaborators working at the intersection of business strategy and cutting-edge technology. The New Roles in AI Agent Development AI Agent Product Manager: Orchestrating AI Innovation The AI Agent Product Manager is the strategic visionary identifying opportunities where AI agents can create business value. They design agent capabilities and ensure alignment with organizational goals and user needs. Acting as translators between business and AI technology, they orchestrate AI-driven innovation. What Does an AI Agent Product Manager Do? As an Agent Product Manager, your role is dynamic. One month you might develop an AI-driven sales agent; the next, an HR automation assistant. Here’s an example: You’re tasked with designing an AI agent for a multinational manufacturing company. Your first step? Leading workshops with stakeholders across operations, design, sales, and customer service. You seek not just incremental improvements but transformative opportunities. Through these discussions, you identify a game-changing concept: an agent that bridges customer feedback, product design, and manufacturing processes. This AI system analyzes customer reviews and support tickets, detects trends, and generates design modification proposals. It then simulates how these changes impact manufacturing efficiency and costs. Your responsibilities include: Your work is not just about building AI—it’s about reshaping how organizations think, innovate, and operate in the AI era. AI Agent Engineer: Building Intelligent and Reliable Systems The AI Agent Engineer is the technical expert who brings AI agents to life. They design robust architectures, create sophisticated prompts, and ensure seamless integration with company data and systems. What Does an AI Agent Engineer Do? Continuing with the manufacturing agent example, your challenge as an AI Agent Engineer is to develop an intelligent system capable of: Your responsibilities include: Your role isn’t just about developing AI—it’s about crafting an intelligent system that drives innovation and efficiency across product development and manufacturing. The Power of Collaboration and Ethics in AI As AI agents become integral to business, the collaboration between Agent Product Managers and Engineers becomes increasingly vital. These roles demand not only technical expertise and strategic vision but also a strong commitment to ethical AI development. Transparency, fairness, and accountability must be embedded in every decision to ensure AI-driven solutions align with business and societal values. Comparing the Roles: AI Agent Product Manager vs. AI Agent Engineer Role Focus Key Responsibilities AI Agent Product Manager Strategy & Business Alignment Identifies AI opportunities, defines agent capabilities, ensures business alignment, and measures success metrics. AI Agent Engineer Technical Implementation Designs AI systems, engineers structured prompts, integrates with enterprise systems, and ensures reliable performance. The Future is Now: Are You Ready to Lead? As AI continues to redefine business, the roles of AI Agent Product Manager and AI Agent Engineer will be at the forefront of this transformation. Whether you’re shaping AI-driven business strategy or developing the technology that powers intelligent agents, your work will have a profound impact. These roles require a rare blend of strategic thinking, technical expertise, creativity, and business acumen. They offer an opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI innovations while driving tangible business outcomes. So, are you ready to rise to the challenge? The AI-augmented future isn’t a question of if—it’s a matter of how. And you could be the one to shape it. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Shift From AI Agents to AI Agent Tool Use

AI Agent Dilemma

The AI Agent Dilemma: Hype, Confusion, and Competing Definitions Silicon Valley is all in on AI agents. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts they will “join the workforce” this year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella envisions them replacing certain knowledge work. Meanwhile, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has set an ambitious goal: making Salesforce the “number one provider of digital labor in the world” through its suite of AI-driven agentic services. But despite the enthusiasm, there’s little consensus on what an AI agent actually is. In recent years, tech leaders have hailed AI agents as transformative—just as AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT redefined information retrieval, agents, they claim, will revolutionize work. That may be true. But the problem lies in defining what an “agent” really is. Much like AI buzzwords such as “multimodal,” “AGI,” or even “AI” itself, the term “agent” is becoming so broad that it risks losing all meaning. This ambiguity puts companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Salesforce, Amazon, and Google in a tricky spot. Each is investing heavily in AI agents, but their definitions—and implementations—differ wildly. An Amazon agent is not the same as a Google agent, leading to confusion and, increasingly, customer frustration. Even industry insiders are growing weary of the term. Ryan Salva, senior director of product at Google and former GitHub Copilot leader, openly criticizes the overuse of “agents.” “I think our industry has stretched the term ‘agent’ to the point where it’s almost nonsensical,” Salva told TechCrunch. “[It is] one of my pet peeves.” A Definition in Flux The struggle to define AI agents isn’t new. Former TechCrunch reporter Ron Miller raised the question last year: What exactly is an AI agent? The challenge is that every company building them has a different answer. That confusion only deepened this past week. OpenAI published a blog post defining agents as “automated systems that can independently accomplish tasks on behalf of users.” Yet in its developer documentation, it described agents as “LLMs equipped with instructions and tools.” Adding to the inconsistency, OpenAI’s API product marketing lead, Leher Pathak, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that she sees “assistants” and “agents” as interchangeable—further muddying the waters. Microsoft attempts to make a distinction, describing agents as “the new apps” for an AI-powered world, while reserving “assistant” for more general task helpers like email drafting tools. Anthropic takes a broader approach, stating that agents can be “fully autonomous systems that operate independently over extended periods” or simply “prescriptive implementations that follow predefined workflows.” Salesforce, meanwhile, has perhaps the widest-ranging definition, describing agents as AI-driven systems that can “understand and respond to customer inquiries without human intervention.” It categorizes them into six types, from “simple reflex agents” to “utility-based agents.” Why the Confusion? The nebulous nature of AI agents is part of the problem. These systems are still evolving, and major players like OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity have only just begun rolling out their first versions—each with vastly different capabilities. But history also plays a role. Rich Villars, GVP of worldwide research at IDC, points out that tech companies have “a long history” of using flexible definitions for emerging technologies. “They care more about what they are trying to accomplish on a technical level,” Villars told TechCrunch, “especially in fast-evolving markets.” Marketing is another culprit. Andrew Ng, founder of DeepLearning.ai, argues that the term “agent” once had a clear technical meaning—until marketers and a few major companies co-opted it. The Double-Edged Sword of Ambiguity The lack of a standardized definition presents both opportunities and challenges. Jim Rowan, head of AI at Deloitte, notes that while the ambiguity allows companies to tailor agents to specific needs, it also leads to “misaligned expectations” and difficulty in measuring value and ROI. “Without a standardized definition, at least within an organization, it becomes challenging to benchmark performance and ensure consistent outcomes,” Rowan explains. “This can result in varied interpretations of what AI agents should deliver, potentially complicating project goals and results.” While a clearer framework for AI agents would help businesses maximize their investments, history suggests that the industry is unlikely to agree on a single definition—just as it never fully defined “AI” itself. For now, AI agents remain both a promising innovation and a marketing-driven enigma. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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