Agents are redesigning work, not just doing it faster

Agents aren't taking over the world; they're just taking over tasks. And in doing so, they're changing how work feels. And in the process, companies build entirely new methods of operating.

Look at how successful deployments actually work. ServiceNow uses AI agents to handle IT requests from beginning to end and Cisco employs AI agents within Webex, where one agent communicates directly with customers, another supports human agents during live calls, and a third listens and creates a summary. Neither company simply automated their old processes—they discarded those processes and built new ones around what agents can actually do.

And that's the pattern that works for structured, repeatable workflows. These AI agent applications succeed because the tasks are clear and follow a standard process. Clear boundaries, measurable outcomes, defined handoffs between humans and agents.

But not every workflow should be rebuilt from scratch. For complex, relationship-heavy work—think client counseling, strategic planning, or cross-functional collaboration—the adoption challenge is different. Teams need agents that fit into how they already work, not systems that force them to learn entirely new processes.

Most companies are still trying to add agents to existing workflows, which limits their impact. Sometimes that's exactly right—you want to meet people where they are to drive actual usage. Sometimes you need the ServiceNow approach and rethink everything. The trick is knowing which workflows need which treatment.

The companies that succeed won't just pick one strategy. They'll rebuild processes where agents can operate autonomously and augment workflows where human judgment stays central. That's not just better technology—it's smarter change management.

The successes and challenges of AI agents

Autonomous systems are quietly changing the way we work. Bigger benefits will come when businesses redesign their workflows with agents at the center.

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