The Year Of Agentic AI: Charting The Next Frontier For Intelligent Enterprises

Forbes

18-07-2025

Sateesh Seetharamiah, CEO of Edge Platforms, EdgeVerve Systems Limited.
Today's business leaders face a pivotal moment. Organizations that have not yet embraced digital transformation and AI into their operations risk falling behind as the pace of innovation accelerates. AI integration is essential for operational excellence. And it must be more than simple rules-based chatbots; it is about using advanced large language models (LLMs) that are capable of synthesizing complex information. Recent industry insights reveal a rise in enterprise AI adoption. This trend will only intensify as organizations recognize the strategic value AI delivers across every business function.
Now, enterprises are entering into the era of agentic AI, a transformative leap that redefines enterprise operations. Unlike traditional AI, agentic AI goes beyond passive analysis to deliver autonomous, intelligent action. These agents are digital executive partners. Agentic AI agents plan, adapt and execute sophisticated tasks in real time, unlocking new business models and driving productivity at scale. These agents anticipate needs, adapt to a shifting environment and support leaders in making timely, informed decisions.
For instance, in the insurance world, agentic AI is streamlining claims processing. In the U.S., close to 62% of an insurer's expenses are related to claims. Insurance processors are often buried in data, trying to verify claims and work with customers. Rather than being the bottleneck, agentic AI streamlines this data review, cutting down the processing time and providing processors with the information needed and recommendations for next steps. This case is duplicated across multiple industries, from manufacturing to healthcare to transportation.
Yet, the shift to agentic AI is not a simple incremental shift. Rather, it is a fundamental change in how work gets done across the enterprise. It empowers businesses to break down complex challenges into manageable actions without requiring constant human guidance and intervention. For example, in the banking sector, where analysts once spent hours evaluating loan requests, agentic AI can quickly assess market trends and applicant financials, recommend adjustments and accelerate decision cycles. The result is streamlined operations and enhanced business agility.
Looking back to know how to move ahead
To understand how enterprises got to this stage, we need to reflect on the journey of AI in the enterprise, beginning with when it was introduced to businesses in the 1980s. There is a clear evolution. Early AI implementations were rigid, rule-based systems that were effective for narrowly defined tasks but lacked the flexibility to adapt to dynamic business needs.
As technology advanced, enterprises began leveraging AI for more sophisticated applications, including personalizing interactions and offering contextual analysis. Then the emergence of LLMs opened up new possibilities, enabling AI to interpret nuanced infrastructures and respond to diverse scenarios. While these models deliver significant value, their insights are inherently limited to the scope of the training data, underscoring the need for solutions that combine intelligence with real-time adaptability.
Agentic AI answers this need. It fuses autonomous action with deep intelligence. The hybrid approach empowers enterprises to orchestrate real-time task execution with confidence. This marks a decisive step forward in enabling connected, intelligent operations that are both scalable and sustainable. Not surprisingly, agentic AI agents are expanding across enterprises, from customer service to product development, supply chain and more. A recent survey from BCG, found that 58% of companies are using AI agents while another 35% are exploring the adoption of agentic AI.
This is not just a simple technology upgrade. It is a corporate, strategic priority, as it impacts business outcomes and competitiveness. Agentic AI empowers enterprise teams with real-time decision-making capabilities that unlock new values and innovations. As an extension of the human workforce, agentic AI unleashes greater productivity.
Clarifying AI's role in the workforce
While agentic AI offers greater intelligence and proactive operations, it is important to clarify its role in the workforce. The deployment of multiple agents for specific tasks amplifies efficiency, but it does not replace the human element. Rather, agentic AI liberates employees from repetitive, time-intensive responsibilities, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business growth, profitability and enhance customer experience.
Human oversight remains critical. Team members ensure that AI solutions are deployed responsibly, aligned with organizational policies and compliant with regulatory and ethical standards. Through active governance and real-time visibility, businesses can harness the full potential of agentic AI while safeguarding trust and accountability.
The majority of employees want to use AI in their workflows. According to a recent McKinsey report, approximately 94% of employees are familiar with AI, with close to three times more employees using AI than leaders believe. While the knowledge base is there, enterprises are challenged with how to implement agentic AI in a manner that maximizes the benefits while minimizing risks related to biased outputs and security.
A platform-based approach allows enterprises to manage and orchestrate multiple AI agents, ensuring efficient data use, control, governance and security. A scalable agentic AI platform provides a simple solution to what could have been a complex business initiative.
Ultimately, agentic AI should be embraced as a strategic partner—one that extends the reach and impact of every team member. Enterprises that adopt a platform-first, integrated approach will unlock new levels of connectivity, intelligence and value creation. The future of business is being shaped by agentic AI through empowering organizations to lead with clarity, agility and purpose. Agentic AI is a transformative force reshaping every industry.
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