“Please help me book a flight ticket”
“Turn on the air conditioner”
“Write an email in English for me”
Familiar with these phrases? These are examples of AI usage in our daily lives that we’re accustomed to, but they can only “wait for commands” and “respond” to them.
In 2024, we witnessed the arrival of Generative AI such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, which created significant excitement in the technology industry. Many people have just started adapting and finding ways to utilize it, while others are still getting to know it better.
In 2025, a major change will occur in the Customer Experience (CX) industry with the arrival of “Agentic AI” – artificial intelligence that doesn’t just wait for commands but can “think independently and act on its own,” working for you with greater autonomy.
What is Agentic AI? How is it different from the AI you might know?
Imagine an assistant that:
Doesn’t wait for you to say “book a flight ticket” but knows you have a meeting abroad next week and handles booking the ticket, hotel, and transportation for you
Doesn’t just turn the air conditioner on and off but learns your usage patterns and adjusts the temperature according to time, weather conditions, and your activities
Doesn’t just write emails as told but analyzes context, relationships, and business goals to draft the most effective communications
This is Agentic AI – artificial intelligence that works proactively, understands context, and makes intelligent decisions.
The AI Agency Gap: When AI tries to work as effectively as humans
To reference academic concepts, consider this image from Gartner
Think about how assistants or agents work in real life. There’s a significant difference between “a receptionist who answers questions according to a script” and “a personal manager who understands your needs and handles everything for you.”
Gartner has pointed out a similar gap in the AI world called the “AI Agency Gap”
Let’s look at some clear examples:
Traditional chatbots are like “new employees who can only answer questions according to the manual” – they answer only what you ask, can’t do anything beyond that, have no flexibility, and need to be told everything
AI assistants using Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini are like “employees with more experience” – they begin to understand context, can adapt somewhat, and solve immediate problems, but still need supervision
Humans are like “professional managers” – thinking ahead, planning independently, adapting well, solving complex problems, and working autonomously
But now there’s an interesting development. When we combine Agentic AI, AI Agents, and Intelligent Automation, it’s like elevating AI from “employees who need constant direction” to becoming more like “assistants who know how to work”
Imagine having multiple assistants working together:
- One manages your appointments
- Another handles finances
- Another manages travel arrangements
Each excels in their own area and communicates with others, with you just stating the overall goals
This is what’s happening in the AI world:
- Agentic AI functions like a “team leader” coordinating and making decisions
- Individual AI Agents act as “specialists” responsible for their specific tasks
- Intelligent automation systems serve as “support systems” enabling everything to work together smoothly.
This transformation is revolutionizing how organizations work, changing from “command-and-wait” to “state-the-goal-and-let-it-work.” Organizations must adapt, and employees need to develop new skills, especially for working with increasingly intelligent AI.
But having more capable assistants doesn’t guarantee greater success. The key is knowing how to use them appropriately:
You need clear operational systems
You must define decision-making boundaries
You need good monitoring and control systems
Before considering how customer experiences will change, our work experiences will change first, such as how we communicate:
Current: Human to AI or AI to Human
Future: Human to AI Agent, or AI Agent to other AI Agents, or AI Agent to Human
Looking ahead, we’ll work with increasingly capable AI, but it won’t completely “replace” humans.
Just as the best managers still need human teams who understand human emotions and complexities, what will emerge is a more balanced collaboration between humans and AI, with each enhancing the other’s strengths to create the best outcomes.
Benefits of Agentic AI for Customer Experience
Automatically Elevating Customer Experience
Agentic AI will automatically elevate customer experience with its ability to:
Deeply understand the context of problems and independently decide how to solve them without transferring to human staff
Learn and adapt from past problem-solving experiences to develop more effective solutions
Work proactively to prevent potential problems by analyzing customer trends and behaviors
Create Deeply Personalized Individual Experiences
Agentic AI can create more personalized experiences for customers than ever before by:
Analyzing real-time data on customer behavior and needs
Adapting communications and services to match each customer’s personality and preferences
Anticipating future needs and preparing responses in advance
Transforming Customer Service Staff Roles
The arrival of Agentic AI significantly changes the role of customer service staff:
Employees will function as experts providing consultation for complex cases requiring strategic decisions
Humans and AI will work together, with AI enhancing efficiency and accuracy
Staff must develop new skills to work with AI and fully utilize the technology
Examples of Businesses Implementing Agentic AI to Revolutionize Customer Experience
E-commerce Business
Online shopping is being transformed. Agentic AI will elevate the shopping experience from general product recommendations to real-time analysis and understanding of customer behavior, recommending the right products at the right time, comparing prices, handling payments, and managing inventory and delivery planning intelligently. This ensures customers receive desired products quickly while stores can efficiently manage stock, reducing stockouts or overstock issues.
Automotive Industry
In the automotive industry, changes are equally significant. Autopilot systems not only drive automatically but learn and improve from global driver data, customize driving experiences based on individual behaviors, and provide preventive maintenance systems that can predict problems before actual damage occurs.
Financial Sector
The financial sector is also transforming, with automatic stock trading systems making decisions in milliseconds, using in-depth data with Agentic AI to analyze spending behavior and provide personalized financial advice, handling transactions, and enhancing security with systems that detect abnormal transactions in real-time by analyzing millions of daily transactions.
Healthcare Industry
The healthcare sector is keeping pace, with AI assistants for elderly care that not only remind about medication but converse and monitor health 24 hours a day, schedule appointments, assist in pre-surgery preparation, provide recommendations, and monitor post-surgery conditions, making holistic healthcare more personal and efficient.
What about small and medium businesses? Should they adapt quickly?
Don’t panic! Agentic AI is still in its early stages and is more applicable in large organizations with ready resources and infrastructure. It will likely take about 3 years before this technology becomes more “friendly” to businesses of all sizes. However, some functions may become accessible to small and medium businesses sooner, so we should keep watching.
This is a good time to:
- Study and understand the technology
- Prepare infrastructure and data
- Plan for future implementation
In summary, what will the future look like?
In the next 3 years, we may see Agentic AI development in CX expanding in various areas:
- AI that functions as “virtual employees” working seamlessly with teams
- Work that combines human creativity with AI precision
- Service ecosystems fully powered by AI
- Enhanced ability to understand and respond to customer emotions
- Creation of seamless experiences across different service channels
Challenges and Cautions
While Agentic AI offers many benefits, it comes with challenges organizations must consider:
- Maintaining balance between automated service and human touch
- Safeguarding customer data security and privacy
- Training and developing personnel to be ready for change
- Monitoring and controlling AI decisions to ensure accuracy and appropriateness
A 2024 global survey of 2,100 consumers and CX experts by Merkle found that over 50% have significant concerns about AI:
- 58% worry about data security
- 57% worry about AI misuse
- 51% worry about privacy violations
Organizations must implement strict security measures by:
- Developing clear AI policies and practices
- Creating approval frameworks for AI use involving customers
- Working with legal and compliance teams from the planning stage
- Monitoring and adapting to changing regulations
Summary
Agentic AI will certainly transform the business world and revolutionize the Customer Experience industry, but this change will occur gradually. Take time to learn and adapt, especially for small and medium businesses. Don’t rush to invest, but use this time to prepare carefully and plan thoroughly.
Success isn’t about implementing technology fastest but using it wisely and appropriately for your business. However, maintaining balance between technology and humanity remains the key to sustainable success in the Agentic AI era.
References
– https://ciosea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/strategy-and-management/businesses-investing-in-genai-need-to-prioritise-robust-governance-and-transparency-pete-stein-dentsu/116353099
– https://www.merkle.com/en/merkle-now/ebooks/cx-imperatives.html
