With AI agents/employees at modern businesses, we are witnessing the third wave of the AI revolution. Today, a wide range of digital processes currently carried out by office workers can be automated by AI agents tools. Business and resources are benefiting from these AI agents and tools across a number of different verticals within an organization. As a result, enterprises are interested in experimenting and harnessing these customized AI employees in their modern business setup and deploying them alongside human employees. The recent cuts by tech giants such as Google reflect the fact that AI agents will soon be everywhere, automating complex business processes and taking care of routine tasks, and more. There has been an increase in the use of intelligent bots in a variety of work applications. According to a survey released on Aug. 13 by ResumeTemplates.com, three out of ten companies have replace workers with artificial intelligence this year.
The Game-changer
Another report by IDC predicts that at least 40% of Global 2000 businesses in the next three years will automate knowledge work using AI agents and agentic workflows, doubling productivity – assuming the technology is successfully implemented.
Jyotirmoy Chakravorty, Founder, Ubona Technologies said “The BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector is one of the strongest in our country and has historically been a first mover in adopting new technologies. While the current deployment of AI employees in this sector is still modest, there are clear signals and efforts indicating that the first large-scale usage of AI employees will likely occur in the financial industry. AI employees are poised to play a transformative role in banking by enhancing efficiency, improving customer experience, and enabling better decision-making.
Here are some key areas where AI employees are expected to make an impact, Customer Service and Support, Fraud Detection and Prevention, Loan and Credit Scoring, Personalized Banking, Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance, Investment Management, Employee Productivity Tools, Collections and Debt Management, Back-Office Automation.’’
As AI employees are adopted successfully in the BFSI sector, they may be used in other consumer-facing industries with similar requirements. Innovations are taking place for these industries in Speech Analytics, Quality Analysis, Multi-Lingual Translation, Trend Analysis, etc. “When we think of the utility prospective, Indian Railways has already deployed AI agents to handle complaints and queries, showing that AI can handle large-scale operations. As these technologies prove their value, we can anticipate broader adoption across a variety of industries, resulting in increased efficiency and innovation.” added Jyotirmoy.
Perspective from the Middle East
Marc Wehbi, Co-founder and CTO, Shaffra said “AI employees are increasingly essential for modern businesses, enhancing efficiency, scalability, and accuracy. The UAE government has also pledged to position AI as a key factor in driving economic growth, aiming to become a global leader in AI by 2031. Shaffra’s AI employees, for instance, streamline operations by automating tasks such as compliance checks, recruitment, and customer service, reducing operational costs by 80% and allowing human talent to focus on higher-value activities. In sectors like finance, AI employees help financial institutions automate processes such as fraud detection, loan approvals, and regulatory compliance. This automation frees up human resources to focus on more strategic activities, allowing businesses to scale without compromising quality.’’
Shaffra’s AI employees manage an extensive range of tasks that span several critical business functions, which helps businesses reduce operational costs and improve efficiency. They manage routine and time-consuming activities such as recruitment, compliance checks, customer service, and data processing.
The Use Case
According to research by The Conference Board, 56% of workers use generative AI on the job, and nearly 1 in 10 use generative AI tools daily. On enterprise level, AI agents are playing a pivotal role across industries with their various applications. The domain of customer support has been transformed with chatbots like ChatGPT, they are meticulous in interacting, answering, and resolving issues smoothly. Their hyper-personalized approach by analyzing customers’ data and previous interactions is bringing fortunes for the companies. Similarly, AI agents power recommendation systems, analyzing user preferences to deliver tailored suggestions and enhance user engagement.
Positive Virtues
The poll of business leaders found that 90% of their companies currently use AI, with the top applications being data analysis, research and content creation. Among those using AI, 53% say it makes their workforce much more productive, and 37% say it slightly increases productivity. Conversely, 7% report minimal productivity gains, 2% see no improvement and another 2% are unsure about the impact.
Trends and Acceptance
“In outbound calls, AI is increasingly being used for straightforward tasks such as collecting customer inputs, conducting surveys, gauging initial interest, or managing basic collections. These use cases demonstrate AI’s growing role in streamlining communication and improving efficiency. However, customers remain cautious and tentative when interacting with automated systems. To gain widespread acceptance, AI technologies and user experiences need to address key challenges, including making interactions feel natural, intuitive, and stress-free while alleviating customer apprehensions.
That said, consumer awareness and acceptance of AI-powered systems are gradually increasing. As customers become more familiar with such automation, they are more willing to engage with these systems when it meets their needs. This marks a significant step toward the broader adoption of AI in customer service.’’ said Jyotirmoy Chakravorty.
The Act of Balancing
The rapid and global adoption of AI technologies in the underscores the need for responsible AI usage. Ethical concerns such as data privacy and bias in AI decision-making are central to the conversation. To ensure responsible integration, at Shaffra, we prioritize transparency and fairness in its AI employee solutions. Ethical AI systems need to be designed with robust guidelines that protect personal data and ensure that AI decisions are free from bias. “According to a report by the UAE’s AI Office, the country is working towards creating a regulatory framework for AI that addresses these concerns, aiming to foster trust and widespread adoption of AI solutions. Additionally, businesses are encouraged to adopt AI ethics frameworks, such as the “AI Ethics Guidelines” published by the Dubai Future Foundation, which emphasize transparency, inclusivity, and people-centrism, said Marc Wehbi.
Businesses have adopted a hybrid workforce that combines human intuition and emotional intelligence with AI precision. This synergy opens doors to greater agility and productivity. AI agents have proven effective in alleviating pain points for employees by assisting with data management, analytics, research, reporting, project management, and more. However, integrating AI agents presents challenges, particularly in the adoption process.
Nevertheless, the technocrats are excited about introducing innovations to AI agents, and businesses are eager to adopt them to stay at the forefront. It will be fascinating to witness the journey of organizations with AI employees in the times to come.
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