Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly, with AI agents emerging as a transformative force in the workplace. These agents are taking AI to another level by working alongside or on behalf of human employees—and are proving to be highly efficient, especially when trained for specific use cases and industries.
The technology is reshaping workflows across diverse industries by automating tasks, enhancing productivity, and driving innovation. Agentic systems, powered by AI and built from reliable data, can help teams automate what slows them down, giving team members more time to focus on higher-value activities. This article explores AI agents, their different types, and how they integrate into business environments to support the human workforce.
Understanding Agentic AI
Agentic AI marks a significant evolution from traditional AI, as it can understand complex problems, formulate strategies, and execute tasks autonomously. Unlike conventional AI models that require explicit instructions, agentic AI can dynamically review input data and situations to make informed decisions with minimal human oversight. For example, in customer service, an AI agent can respond to inquiries, proactively find account details, make tailored recommendations, and complete transactions based on user preferences. This capability makes agentic AI a game changer in industries such as healthcare, finance, logistics, and more, where efficiency and accuracy are critical.
The Role of Micro Agents
While agentic AI manages broad and intricate processes, micro agents focus on highly specialized tasks with precision. These AI-driven tools are programmed to perform well-defined functions to produce reliable and consistent outcomes. For instance, in software development, a micro agent might iteratively test and refine code to meet stringent requirements. Narrowing the scope makes micro agents simpler to deploy and helps reduce errors, making them indispensable in fields where quality control and accuracy are necessary.
Leading technology companies like Microsoft are leveraging the technology to redefine workplace productivity through solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot, Dynamics 365, and Copilot Studio. These tools showcase the power of task automation by handling duties like email summarization, report generation, and customer service management.
In summary, the synergy between agentic AI and micro agents creates a robust framework that can embolden innovation and efficiency by combining the strengths of autonomous decision making with specialized task execution.
AI Agents in Action: Moving Beyond Assistants
In addition to Copilot and Dynamics 365 tools, the Azure AI Agent Service can further empower organizations by supporting the development of customized AI agents that integrate generative AI models with real-world data. These AI-driven applications can help enhance efficiency, foster collaboration, and provide key insights while following Microsoft’s responsible AI principles.
AI agents represent a leap beyond traditional AI assistants by operating with greater autonomy and contextual awareness. Unlike assistants requiring direct user commands, AI agents can apply reasoning and inference to complete complex tasks independently. Agentic AI can ascertain variables such as schedules, time, availability, and more to handle tasks without step-by-step instructions. By handling more advanced responsibilities, agents can offset administrative burdens.
Integrating AI Agents Into the Workplace
Successfully implementing AI agents requires strategic planning and adaptation. According to a recent Forbes article, there are five key approaches that can facilitate seamless integration:1
- Crafting Effective AI Prompts: Structured and precise prompts can enhance AI task accuracy by up to 30%, according to research from Stanford University mentioned in the article.
- Prioritizing Human Creativity: Off-loading repetitive tasks to AI agents allows employees to engage in more creative and value-driven work.
- Redefining Workforce Roles: Organizations should evolve job structures to encourage human-AI collaboration.
- Training for AI Collaboration: Teams should have guidance on how to interact effectively with AI agents as digital collaborators.
- Adapting to AI-Driven Workflows: Leaders should stay informed and create frameworks for responsible AI integration within their organizations.
By implementing these strategies, organizations can unlock AI agents’ broad potential while fostering innovation and operational efficiency.
Examples of AI Agents
There are various types of AI agents, including personal , business process , and cross-organizational agents. Agents can perform tasks ranging from simple prompt-and-response to autonomous operations.
A few practical examples include agents that can help with routine tasks like collecting data, generating reports, identifying trends, summarizing information, and setting up schedules. With AI agents in place, human staff can focus on strategic efforts and help improve productivity. Diving into specific use cases, here are some notable examples.
- Customer Support: AI-driven chat agents can handle customer inquiries, provide personalized recommendations, and assist with returns autonomously.
- Healthcare: Autonomous agents can manage administrative tasks such as appointment scheduling, patient outreach, and medication reminders.
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management: AI agents can track inventory levels, predict stock needs, and improve delivery routes based on real-time data like weather and traffic conditions.
- Human Resources: Agents can assist with recruitment, employee onboarding, and performance management. They can independently screen resumes, schedule interviews, and provide training recommendations.
- Finance: Agents can automate financial planning, fraud detection, and customer service in banking. The technology can review transactions, identify anomalies, and provide insights.
Microsoft Updates
Microsoft and NVIDIA have teamed up to blaze a new trail in AI development and deployment. Here’s a summary of Microsoft’s recent announcement:
- Integration of NVIDIA Technologies: Microsoft has integrated NVIDIA NIM microservices and the NVIDIA AgentIQ toolkit into Azure AI Foundry. Azure AI Foundry is a platform designed to help developers and organizations build, deploy, and manage AI-driven applications and agents. This collaboration aims to enhance performance and cost efficiency for AI projects.
- NVIDIA NIM Microservices: NVIDIA NIM, part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite, can provide secure, high-performance AI inferencing. It leverages technologies like NVIDIA Triton Inference Server, TensorRT, and PyTorch.
- Zero-Configuration Deployment: The integration allows for quick deployment with integral out-of-the-box features.
- Scalable Inference: The microservices are designed to scale seamlessly on managed Azure compute, supporting demanding workloads and accelerating applications ranging from large language models to advanced analytics.
- NVIDIA AgentIQ: Once NVIDIA NIM microservices are deployed, NVIDIA AgentIQ can help improve performance with generative AI applications that perform well within the Azure ecosystem.
- High-Grade Reliability: The integration helps support continuous performance and security, benefiting from NVIDIA AI Enterprise support.
Real-World Usage in Industries
Here are examples of real-world use cases on how AI is evolving within various industries, from healthcare to finance, by enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and customer experiences.
- Healthcare: A healthcare insurance company uses AI to enhance data quality and patient journey insights. This transformation has led to significant improvements in customer service and operational efficiency.
- Retail: A leading retail chain leverages AI to help customers eat healthier. AI is integrated into various operations, from inventory management to personalized customer experiences.
- Transportation: An enterprise transportation company uses AI to transform driving experiences. AI agents help improve routes, provide real-time traffic updates, and enhance overall navigation systems.
- Professional Services: Teams at a global professional services firm use AI to enhance inclusivity in AI development. This involves creating more accessible and equitable AI solutions for diverse user groups.
- Manufacturing: A manufacturing company has transformed its customer quote system with AI, improving accuracy and efficiency in supply chain management.
- Finance: An accounting firm experienced productivity gains with AI chatbots that automate routine tasks and quickly respond to client inquiries, enhancing overall service delivery.
Challenges & Opportunities
The integration of AI agents into the workplace presents both challenges and opportunities. While rapid progress in AI capabilities, such as improved reasoning and tool use, is essential for AI agents to perform complex tasks autonomously, there is currently a gap between this progress and actual adoption in businesses.
To help bridge this gap, three components for agentic AI integration are needed:
- Transparency: making work clear and verifiable
- Knowledge: providing access to company information, culture, and goals
- Coordination: facilitating collaboration among agents
These components are vital in unlocking the full potential of AI agents and fostering human-AI collaboration. Equipping AI agents with the right tools and refining their operational frameworks will be crucial in bridging the gap between technological potential and practical usage.
How Forvis Mazars Can Help
AI agents are reshaping modern work environments by automating specialized and complex tasks with precision. According to Gartner, Inc., a research and advisory firm, agentic AI is one of the top 10 strategic technology trends IT leaders are tracking.2 In addition, a PitchBook article about the recent HumanX conference noted that industry leaders recognize AI agents as pivotal for business growth and operational efficiency.3 With their ability to scale services and drive innovation, AI agents are beginning to augment the future of work. Organizations that embrace these advancements can gain a competitive edge—empowering teams by putting AI agents to work for humans.
The transformative impact of AI agents in enhancing workflows and productivity is clear. Savvy organizations should explore AI-driven solutions to help empower their workforce and streamline operations. By integrating agentic AI strategically and responsibly, businesses can harness the technology to help drive efficiency, foster innovation, and scale efficiently.
At Forvis Mazars, the importance of ethical and responsible AI governance is widely emphasized. Here are some key points to note:
- Ethical AI Governance: Transparency, accountability, fairness, and privacy in AI systems are fundamental. Safeguarding these principles can help mitigate biases and protect data.
- SAFE AI Framework: Forvis Mazars advanced the SAFE AI Framework™, which stands for Secure, Adaptable, Factual, and Ethical AI implementations. This framework aims to drive organizational growth while maintaining high standards of security and ethical practices.
- Regulatory Compliance: Address challenges in AI governance, such as regulatory complexity, algorithmic bias, and accountability gaps. Staying on top of these challenges is crucial for effective AI deployment.
- Collaboration & Innovation: Developing best practices for AI security and innovation is highly encouraged. Bring together stakeholders and assign a project “champion” to advocate for continuous review and updating of business processes to incorporate AI-driven solutions.
These points reflect the Business Technology Services team’s commitment at Forvis Mazars to supporting responsible AI development and deployment. Scale smarter with agentic AI. Our technology consultants can help design and deploy AI solutions to meet your business needs.
Forvis Mazars is a certified Microsoft Partner and recipient of the Microsoft Inner Circle Award. We can assist with advisory engagements, Power Platform assessments, automation, app-to-app integrations, outsourced citizen developer services, and more. Whether you’re looking to implement AI tools or new business software or customize your customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, we can help. Connect with us today to learn more and plan your AI transformation.
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