As McKinsey maps the Agentic AI future, one ASX name is already in the mix

News.com.au

9 hours ago

AI agents are now built for complexity, not novelty
Decidr lands in the sweet spot of automation
McKinsey's trillion-dollar prediction is already underway
Something big is stirring in the world of AI, and consultants at world-renowned McKinsey have given it a name.
They're calling this moment the 'Dawn of Agentic AI,' a shift from machines that think to machines that do.
They're talking about autonomous digital workers that plan, act, and learn, leaving the old guard of rule-based systems in the dust.
McKinsey says these systems, built atop foundation models, can break down multi-step tasks, talk to humans, and actually deliver real outcomes.
It's the leap from 'tell me more' to 'get it done'.
McKinsey says AI agents will work with people, taking on the grunt work so teams can focus on what actually needs human brainpower.
They call it 'human in the loop.' The idea is to automate complexity, not creativity.
It's not about replacing people, but supporting them, especially in jobs that involve high-volume, high-friction tasks that slow teams down.
This is how you unlock real AI value, say McKinsey
McKinsey also reckons most companies are going about it wrong.
The temptation is to bolt AI agents onto existing systems, treat them like smart plugins.
But that just creates more mess.
What actually works, they say, is to redesign the entire workflow around the AI agent (instead of people), where companies should rethink how the job gets done from start to finish.
That's when the big value shows up.
How big could Agentic AI be?
Try between US$2.6-4.4 trillion in annual global economic value, McKinsey said.
Not from one sector, but across the board: sales, customer service, software, finance, R&D, and HR.
The number sounds wild, but the logic checks out if you think about it.
If you can automate high-effort processes that humans have been slogging through for decades, and do it reliably, at scale, it changes everything.
McKinsey also pointed out that businesses chasing that value need to get three things right.
First, agents need to work across systems, no more data trapped in silos.
Second, they need proper governance and monitoring so they don't go rogue. And third, they need to be usable by non-tech teams.
McKinsey's final message is this: the companies that win in this next wave won't be the ones with the flashiest demos.
They will be the ones that actually redesign how work happens, build AI into the fabric of their org, and scale it with discipline.
Betting on the future of work
Decidr Ai Industries (ASX:DAI) may be the only ASX-listed company that's building exactly what McKinsey describes.
The company is creating teams of smart agents designed to handle real work, like chatting with potential customers, managing the hiring process, or crafting marketing content.
Imagine this: You say, 'Plan a marketing campaign that targets small businesses in Queensland next quarter.'
An agentic AI won't just hand you a slide deck. It will dig into your database and come up with ideas. It will also run A/B tests, adjust the pitch, schedule social posts.
Over in marketing, a content agent crafts blog posts, writes ads, optimises for SEO.
Meanwhile, a recruitment agent hunts candidates, schedules interviews, and manages the screening process.
All of these agents are launched through Decidr's Onboarding Studio, so businesses can get full AI teams up and running in minutes, no coding needed.
Even better, these agents plug right into the systems companies already use: email, finance tools, HR software, working together without manual handoffs or data silos.
On a mission
Decidr is also positioning itself right where McKinsey says the biggest shift is about to happen.
Industries that are drowning in complexity – like recruitment, onboarding, sales, and content – are crying out for smarter automation.
Its platform has landed right in that sweet spot, and since rebranding from Live Verdure in March, Decidr's been busy.
Like teaming up with AWS Venture Studio for cloud grunt and LLM access, cutting deals with Sugarwork in the US, and automating onboarding for 1500 SME listings via SBX back home.
It's also joined the Tech Council of Australia, a flag in the sand for AI governance.
Meanwhile, CareerOne's revenue has doubled in June using Decidr's agents, with job match performance up 8x.
And Growth Faculty is already earning subscriptions from Decidr-powered AI Mentors.
Bringing the future forward
There are still hurdles ahead for Decidr, of course.
Expanding into the US will test trust and traction. Regulatory frameworks are evolving, and public markets haven't exactly been kind to early-stage tech.
And McKinsey has been blunt: the real value in agentic AI won't come from novelty or hype, but from rethinking how work actually gets done.
Decidr, though, isn't pitching some distant future. It's already rolling out the kind of agentic systems that industries are scrambling to adopt right now.