Teaming up with AI: how agents will fuel enterprise transformation and reshape work

Agentic AI represents an epoch moment as we transition to a dynamic, digitized economy, enabling a completely new type of workforce in which humans will not oversee all decision making.  

Unlike traditional automation tools, AI agents can perceive their environment, reason through problems, and take initiative to achieve defined goals. As an example, Cognizant’s Recruit IQ solution uses agentic AI to streamline hiring and onboarding, automating 70% of the processes. In the pharmaceutical industry, agents promise to reduce the length of clinical trials dramatically.  These are just two examples. Agentic automation is poised to revolutionize nearly every industry and function.  

The greatest hurdles to widespread agentic AI adoption lie not in technology, but in culture, operational agility, and mindset. To successfully integrate autonomous systems, organizations must be prepared to fundamentally transform their work structures, foster trust in AI, and invest in employee upskilling. This requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes clear governance, transparency, and effective change management. Early adopters have found success by starting with well-defined, high-impact use cases, maintaining human oversight, and clearly communicating the benefits of AI augmentation – not replacement – of human capabilities.