The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), from its humble beginnings as an idea to the transformative force it is today is amazing. In the past two decades, AI has entered a golden age, reshaping how we live, work and think.
But it has also led to concerned conversations in numerous circles about job losses and a drop in employment opportunities. From its theoretical roots to modern-day applications, AI has transformed from a distant dream into a transformative reality. It will deliver a unique and beneficial value proposition for the world, particularly India.
Agents and automation
Indian consumers want greater personalisation. The accelerated progress that made us the third most digitised country, and 12th at the level of individual users among G20 nations, has significantly raised customer expectations.
AI accelerated this shift, as shown by a survey, which found that all generations of India now hold companies to higher standards for adaptation and foresight. Today, 63% of consumers say AI advances make trust even more important, and with AI agents, businesses have real opportunities to win back consumer confidence.
Organisations will be increasingly challenged in meeting these raised expectations. They will have to rapidly upskill teams to deliver personalised customer service on the go. Since expanding teams apace with the growing customer base might not make immediate business sense, maintaining personalisation will be another hurdle.
The answer will lie in enabling employees with greater productivity and greater customer focus in every interaction — a multiplier effect achievable only through technology.
Digital labour driving productivity and customer focus
AI agents will deliver similar exponential change for organisations. They can immediately expand the capabilities and productivity of teams. Far from reducing an organisation’s current labour force, they can rapidly improve the quality of the services that employees provide. Here is how AI agents will do this.
First, they will take away the repetitive tasks that do not require creative thinking, such as routine KYC during customer onboarding. Second, AI agents can serve as a source of standardised knowledge, vital in a job market where talent is highly mobile. Third, AI agents can enable teams to act assuredly in complex situations.
Further, as a completely digital tool, an AI agent leaves a traceable and accurate trail of its actions. Rigorous and regular audits of these footprints and the outcomes continuously improve the AI agent, making it even more empowering for employees.
Agentic AI and India
In an era termed India’s ‘techade’, the country has a huge thirst for digitisation. In this vibrant landscape, we can clearly envision how organisations and institutions in every sector — from real estate and auto sales to government agencies — can effectively utilise AI agents to serve their stakeholders.
Sound progress is being made. Having leapfrogged the telecom and payments revolutions, India is poised for the third wave of AI that is both intelligent and interactive, to maintain strong digital momentum in a new global order.
The ecosystem must cooperate to ensure responsible AI adoption, prioritising robust AI governance frameworks and safety. This could include establishing standards for data usage, auditing AI algorithms for fairness and bias, and ensuring that AI technologies align with India’s societal values and laws.
The author is president and chairperson, Salesforce, India & South Asia. All views expressed are personal.
But it has also led to concerned conversations in numerous circles about job losses and a drop in employment opportunities. From its theoretical roots to modern-day applications, AI has transformed from a distant dream into a transformative reality. It will deliver a unique and beneficial value proposition for the world, particularly India.
Agents and automation
Indian consumers want greater personalisation. The accelerated progress that made us the third most digitised country, and 12th at the level of individual users among G20 nations, has significantly raised customer expectations.
AI accelerated this shift, as shown by a survey, which found that all generations of India now hold companies to higher standards for adaptation and foresight. Today, 63% of consumers say AI advances make trust even more important, and with AI agents, businesses have real opportunities to win back consumer confidence.
Organisations will be increasingly challenged in meeting these raised expectations. They will have to rapidly upskill teams to deliver personalised customer service on the go. Since expanding teams apace with the growing customer base might not make immediate business sense, maintaining personalisation will be another hurdle.
The answer will lie in enabling employees with greater productivity and greater customer focus in every interaction — a multiplier effect achievable only through technology.
Digital labour driving productivity and customer focus
AI agents will deliver similar exponential change for organisations. They can immediately expand the capabilities and productivity of teams. Far from reducing an organisation’s current labour force, they can rapidly improve the quality of the services that employees provide. Here is how AI agents will do this.
First, they will take away the repetitive tasks that do not require creative thinking, such as routine KYC during customer onboarding. Second, AI agents can serve as a source of standardised knowledge, vital in a job market where talent is highly mobile. Third, AI agents can enable teams to act assuredly in complex situations.
Further, as a completely digital tool, an AI agent leaves a traceable and accurate trail of its actions. Rigorous and regular audits of these footprints and the outcomes continuously improve the AI agent, making it even more empowering for employees.
Agentic AI and India
In an era termed India’s ‘techade’, the country has a huge thirst for digitisation. In this vibrant landscape, we can clearly envision how organisations and institutions in every sector — from real estate and auto sales to government agencies — can effectively utilise AI agents to serve their stakeholders.
Sound progress is being made. Having leapfrogged the telecom and payments revolutions, India is poised for the third wave of AI that is both intelligent and interactive, to maintain strong digital momentum in a new global order.
The ecosystem must cooperate to ensure responsible AI adoption, prioritising robust AI governance frameworks and safety. This could include establishing standards for data usage, auditing AI algorithms for fairness and bias, and ensuring that AI technologies align with India’s societal values and laws.
The author is president and chairperson, Salesforce, India & South Asia. All views expressed are personal.
