Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/gartner_agentic_ai/
Source: The Register
Title: Thousands of AI agents later, who even remembers what they do?
Feedly Summary: Gartner weighs the pros and cons of the latest enterprise hotness
Among the optimism and opportunities perceived around AI agents, Gartner has spotted some risks – namely that organizations might create “thousands of bots, but nobody now remembers what those bots do or why they were built."…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: Gartner highlights significant risks associated with the rise of “agentic AI,” describing it as goal-driven software that can autonomously make decisions on behalf of organizations. It warns of potential pitfalls such as poor data quality and a lack of oversight that could lead to operational inefficiencies and customer alienation. The report underscores the importance of creating customer journey maps and setting guardrails before deploying these agents, as they are poised to increasingly permeate enterprise software.
Detailed Description: The latest insights from Gartner bring to light the complexities and potential risks of implementing agentic AI in organizational workflows. This classification of AI raises critical issues for security and compliance professionals in areas of governance and data management, particularly:
– **Nature of Agentic AI**: It refers to goal-driven software entities that can act independently, differentiating them from traditional robotic process automation (RPA). Therefore:
– They require no explicit input.
– Their functions may lead to unpredictable outputs.
– **Risks Identified**: Gartner cautions that organizations run the risk of creating numerous agents without a clear understanding of their functions or purposes:
– Potential for operational chaos if thousands of unmonitored bots are deployed.
– Lack of awareness about what the bots do could lead to compliance issues.
– **Quality of Data**: The effectiveness of agentic AI heavily relies on the quality of the underlying data:
– Poor data quality may inhibit the development and safe deployment of AI agents.
– Increased operational risks if the data architecture is not robust.
– **Customer Experience Considerations**: Gartner emphasizes the importance of the customer experience:
– Poorly executed AI interactions can alienate customers.
– Organizations should develop customer journey maps to ensure a user-friendly experience.
– **Market Outlook**: The future of agentic AI looks promising, with projections indicating that:
– One-third of enterprise software may incorporate such agents.
– 20% of digital storefront interactions could be handled by AI agents.
– **Integration and Automation Benefits**: If managed correctly, AI agents can:
– Significantly expand automation in tasks and workflows.
– Enhance customer engagement by analyzing performance at a level surpassing human capability.
– **Management Strategies Needed**: To harness the advantages while mitigating risks, organizations should:
– Invest in training and technology for trustworthy AI practices.
– Set appropriate governance measures to oversee the usage of agentic AI.
In conclusion, while the incorporation of agentic AI into organizations presents substantial opportunities for efficiency and innovation, security and compliance professionals must navigate the associated risks carefully, establishing guidelines and maintaining oversight to safeguard their operations.