News/Agents
Prepare for auto-onboarding and more as IT departments become HR teams for enterprise AI
Agentic AI is transforming enterprise systems by evolving from simple assistants to becoming the foundation of microservices architecture. This shift is creating a new paradigm where IT departments will function like HR teams for AI agents—recruiting, onboarding, and managing these digital workers alongside human employees. This development represents a fundamental restructuring of how enterprises approach problem-solving and workflow management. The big picture: AI agents are becoming the power behind enterprise microservices, functioning as independent components that can be assembled into complex workflows rather than existing as monolithic applications. "Agentic AI is the next step in breaking apart and solving problems,"...
read Mar 11, 2025Team of Rivals: China’s Manus employs multiple AI models for autonomous task completion
Chinese startup Butterfly Effect has thrust itself into the global AI spotlight with Manus, a multipurpose AI agent system that autonomously executes complex tasks rather than merely generating ideas. Unlike traditional AI chatbots, Manus combines multiple AI models to independently research, analyze data, generate reports, and even write and deploy code without human intervention. This development represents China's second major AI breakthrough following DeepSeek earlier this year, potentially signaling a significant advancement in autonomous AI agent capabilities. The big picture: Manus AI emerged suddenly on March 5, 2025, when the company described it as "the first general AI agent" capable...
read Mar 10, 2025Ex-Google DeepMind researchers launch $130M AI startup to build autonomous coding tools
Former Google DeepMind researchers have launched a new superintelligence venture with substantial backing from top-tier investors. Reflection AI's $130 million funding and ambitious focus on autonomous programming tools positions it alongside other AI labs developing agent-based automation systems. The startup's focus on practical programming tools represents an initial step toward their long-term vision of creating advanced AI capable of performing most computer-based work. The big picture: Reflection AI has secured $130 million across two funding rounds, achieving a $555 million valuation led by prominent investors including Sequoia Capital, CRV, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. The startup raised an initial $25 million...
read Mar 10, 2025Vurvey Labs launches “Vurbs” AI agents that evolve through continuous human interaction
Not to be confused with "Verbs," though the AI action is hot. Vurvey Labs is pioneering a significant shift in artificial intelligence by combining LLMs with continuous human insights. Their newly launched "Vurbs" represent AI agents that evolve through ongoing interaction with real people, addressing a fundamental limitation of traditional LLMs which remain static after training. This approach potentially solves a critical challenge in AI development by creating more dynamic, authentic AI personalities that can better model human behavior and provide enterprises with continuously refreshed consumer insights. The big picture: Vurvey Labs has launched "Vurbs," AI agents that evolve through...
read Mar 6, 2025Scientists skeptical of Google’s AI co-scientist tool, say it removes the fun part of their work
Google's "AI co-scientist" tool, built on Gemini 2.0, has received significant skepticism from the scientific community despite ambitious claims about revolutionizing research. The tool, which uses multiple AI agents to generate hypotheses and research plans through simulated debate and refinement, has been dismissed by experts who question both its practical utility and its fundamental premise. This resistance highlights a critical misunderstanding about scientific research—that hypothesis generation is often the creative, enjoyable aspect that scientists are least interested in outsourcing to AI. Why it matters: The lukewarm reception reveals a disconnect between how AI developers envision scientific workflows and how scientists...
read Mar 6, 2025Cisco, LangChain, and Galileo launch AGNTCY to bring order to agentic AI chaos
A new consortium aims to bring order to the rapidly multiplying world of AI agents by creating standardized frameworks that enable them to work together across platforms. This initiative, launched by Cisco's R&D division (Outshift), agent orchestration specialist LangChain, and trust and observability expert Galileo, addresses a critical need in AI development: while individual AI agents can handle simple tasks, their true potential lies in collaboration—but without standards, this potential remains largely untapped. The big picture: Cisco, LangChain, and Galileo have founded AGNTCY, an open-source collective building infrastructure for what they call "a Cambrian explosion of AI agents," referencing the...
read Mar 6, 2025EXL’s agentic AI platform provides conductor for multi-agent orchestra
EXL's agentic AI platform addresses the widespread enterprise challenge of AI integration by orchestrating multiple AI agents within business operations. This approach tackles core implementation hurdles—including excessive data requirements, customization needs, lack of expertise, and cost concerns—by creating an orchestration layer that seamlessly connects specialized AI systems within existing workflows. As organizations struggle to translate AI's theoretical potential into practical applications, EXL's framework demonstrates how orchestrated AI systems can deliver measurable business value through efficiency, accuracy and compliance. The big picture: EXL has launched EXLerate.AI, an agentic AI platform designed to help enterprises integrate AI into their workflows for tangible...
read Mar 4, 2025Salesforce pursues ambitious AI automation with its pulse on healthcare
Salesforce's entry into enterprise AI automation signals a significant shift in how businesses approach workplace productivity. By launching AgentExchange, a marketplace hosting over 200 partners including Google Cloud and DocuSign, the company is positioning itself to capture a slice of what it projects as a $6 trillion "digital labor" market. This move represents one of Silicon Valley's boldest attempts to transform how businesses handle routine tasks, with a particular focus on healthcare administration. The big picture: Salesforce is creating the first trusted marketplace for enterprise AI agents, moving beyond simple text generation to enable autonomous task completion within business systems....
read Mar 4, 2025Opera’s new Browser Operator turns web browsers into AI-powered autonomous agents
It'll shop 'til you drop it. Opera's Browser Operator represents a significant leap in browser technology, introducing AI-powered autonomous task completion that could fundamentally change how users interact with the web. This advancement shifts browsers from passive display engines to active agents capable of executing complex tasks, marking a potential transformation in how people navigate and complete online activities. The big picture: Opera has unveiled Browser Operator, an AI agent that runs natively within the browser to autonomously complete user-requested tasks. EVP Krystian Kolondra describes this as the first step in transforming browsers from display engines to agentic applications that...
read Mar 3, 2025AI agents could make the internet go dark, top analysts warn
Will agentic middlemen lurk in the shadows of what was once called cyberspace? Financial analysts warn that widespread adoption of AI agents could fundamentally transform how humans interact with digital services and information online. These AI-powered personal assistants, which can perform tasks across various applications on behalf of users, threaten to disrupt existing business models and potentially reshape the economics of the internet. The implications extend beyond simple convenience features to potentially affecting how news is consumed, services are marketed, and digital advertising functions. The big picture: Analysts at Bernstein Research predict that if AI agents become truly useful, they could...
read Mar 3, 2025Google releases Gemini-powered data science tool in Colab for free
The natural-language-to-anything-you-want pipeline continues to add miles. Google's new Data Science Agent, powered by Gemini 2.0, represents a significant leap in making data analysis more accessible through artificial intelligence. This free AI assistant, available through Google Colab, transforms natural language descriptions into fully functional Jupyter notebooks, streamlining workflows for researchers and data scientists. The tool's launch signals an escalation in the AI-powered data analysis space, directly competing with OpenAI's ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis capability. The big picture: Google has expanded access to its Data Science Agent following a limited December 2024 testing phase, offering the tool free to users 18...
read Feb 28, 2025Small biz solutions: Intuit’s data architecture powers AI agents with measurable ROI
Intuit's innovative deployment of generative AI is transforming financial management for small businesses through its new agent-based architecture. By focusing on complete workflow automation rather than isolated AI features, the company's "done for you" experiences are delivering measurable improvements in critical areas like accounts receivable, where QuickBooks users are getting paid five days faster on average. This practical implementation of AI demonstrates how enterprises can move beyond technological promises to achieve concrete business outcomes. The big picture: Intuit has developed a sophisticated generative AI operating system (GenOS) that powers autonomous workflows, marking a significant evolution in how AI serves small...
read Feb 28, 2025Salesforce goes zero tolerance on engineer hires while boosting sales team by 20% due to AI
Engineers, down. Salesfolk, up. Salesforce's dramatic shift in workforce strategy reflects a pivotal moment in enterprise AI adoption, as CEO Marc Benioff announces plans to completely halt engineering hiring while aggressively expanding sales operations. This strategic pivot, aimed at dominating what Benioff calls the "Digital Labor Revolution," represents an unprecedented bet on AI's ability to boost engineering productivity while doubling down on human-driven sales efforts to capture the enterprise AI market. The big picture: Salesforce plans zero engineering hires in 2025 while expanding its sales force by 20%, marking a stark departure from traditional tech company growth strategies. Key details:...
read Feb 27, 2025AI research agent by You.com analyzes 400+ sources simultaneously
Talk about killing 400+ birds with one stone... The management consulting industry, valued at $250 billion, has traditionally relied on teams of analysts spending weeks conducting market research and producing comprehensive reports. You.com's new AI tool aims to dramatically reduce this timeline to minutes while maintaining accuracy and depth. Core Innovation: You.com's Advanced Research & Insights agent (ARI) represents a significant advancement in AI-powered research capabilities by simultaneously analyzing over 400 sources, which is ten times more than existing solutions. The system uses an iterative research approach, creating initial summaries and progressively adding new information while maintaining efficiency through data...
read Feb 27, 2025AI agents demystified: Key factors for successful implementation
The development of AI agents represents a significant shift in workplace automation, moving beyond simple robotic process automation (RPA) to more sophisticated autonomous systems. Despite rapid technological advancement in AI capabilities like tool use and reasoning, there remains a notable gap between available technology and widespread business adoption. Current state of AI agent adoption: Recent technological breakthroughs in AI tool use and reasoning capabilities have created the foundation for autonomous AI agents that can execute complex tasks at significantly lower costs than previously possible. A McKinsey survey reveals that while 63% of leaders at organizations with over $50M in revenue...
read Feb 26, 2025AI increasingly an alternative to traditional search in online shopping habits, impacting brands
The rise of AI agents - algorithms that can autonomously act on behalf of users - is fundamentally changing how consumers discover and purchase products online. ChatGPT's growing use as a search alternative to Google exemplifies this shift, with some experts predicting it could supplant traditional search engines within four years. The transformation of consumer behavior: AI agents are increasingly mediating the relationship between brands and consumers by interpreting user queries and synthesizing search results in more sophisticated ways than traditional search engines. These AI agents can understand natural language questions and provide curated recommendations, moving beyond simple keyword matching...
read Feb 26, 2025AI agent wars heat up as OpenAI expands Deep Research access to Plus users
The development of AI-powered research tools has accelerated rapidly, with major companies introducing increasingly sophisticated capabilities. OpenAI's Deep Research feature represents a significant advancement in automated research and analysis capabilities, expanding access across multiple subscription tiers. Key Features and Access: OpenAI is strategically deploying Deep Research across its user base, powered by a specialized version of their upcoming o3 model that can analyze diverse content types and generate comprehensive reports. Free tier users receive 2 monthly queries, while Plus subscribers ($20/month) get 10 queries Pro tier users ($200/month) have access to 120 monthly queries, pricing each query at approximately $1.67...
read Feb 26, 2025AI-powered ERP optimizer Opkey launches new agentic AI platform
The emergence of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has transformed how businesses manage their operations, but implementation and maintenance remain complex and costly challenges. Opkey's new agentic AI platform represents a significant advancement in addressing these persistent ERP management hurdles. The innovation breakthrough: Opkey has developed an AI-powered ERP Lifecycle Optimization Platform that leverages a specialized small language model called Argus AI to streamline ERP operations. The platform promises to cut ERP management costs by up to 50% while reducing testing time by up to 85% A year-long training process was required to optimize the system for Oracle applications The...
read Feb 25, 2025AI challenges lab professionals: Key impacts to watch
Experimentation is meeting augmentation on the science job front. The advent of AI in scientific research reached a new milestone in February 2025 with Google's announcement of their AI co-scientist platform. This sophisticated system employs seven specialized AI agents working in concert to assist researchers from ideation through discovery, incorporating a novel "self-play" approach where different ideas undergo rigorous debate and evolution. Initial performance metrics: Early testing of Google's AI co-scientist platform has demonstrated remarkable success in generating scientifically viable ideas and hypotheses. Human scientists rated the AI-generated research proposals similarly to peer proposals in terms of potential impact and...
read Feb 25, 2025How autonomous AI shopping agents will transform the retail industry
The retail industry is undergoing a significant transformation as AI capabilities advance from predictive and generative models to autonomous shopping agents. Salesforce's research indicates that 32% of consumer goods companies have already implemented generative AI in their digital commerce operations, marking a shift from AI that simply answers questions to AI that can complete entire shopping transactions independently. The evolution of retail AI: The progression of AI in retail has moved through three distinct waves, each building upon the capabilities of the previous generation. Traditional automation relies on predefined rules and steps without true AI capabilities or learning abilities Predictive...
read Feb 25, 2025Google and Salesforce integrate Gemini AI into Agentforce platform
The enterprise software landscape is being reshaped by strategic partnerships between major tech companies seeking to enhance their AI capabilities. Salesforce and Google have announced a $2.5 billion, seven-year partnership that will integrate Google's Gemini AI into Salesforce's Agentforce platform, creating a powerful alternative to Microsoft's enterprise AI offerings. Key Partnership Details: The collaboration enables Salesforce's core applications to run on Google Cloud with embedded Gemini AI capabilities, representing a significant shift in Salesforce's cloud strategy. The deal values at $2.5 billion over seven years Salesforce's CRM and Agentforce AI offerings will now run natively on Google Cloud The integration...
read Feb 25, 2025Microsoft’s AI wipes the factory floor with its improved efficiency
The manufacturing industry is rapidly adopting AI assistants to optimize factory operations and improve efficiency. Microsoft's Factory Operations Agent, a specialized chatbot tool, is being deployed by companies like Schaeffler to analyze manufacturing data and troubleshoot production issues. The big picture: Microsoft's AI-powered Factory Operations Agent represents a significant advancement in industrial automation by bridging the gap between information technology and operational technology in manufacturing settings. The system integrates with Microsoft's enterprise products, enabling companies to analyze data across hundreds of manufacturing facilities worldwide Built on large language models similar to those from OpenAI, the AI assistant can understand complex...
read Feb 23, 2025Agentic organizations: Why the companies of the future will be copyable
The continued march of AI technology improvement has led to discussions about the possibility of creating entirely AI-operated companies that can be replicated at scale. MIT Senior Fellow and venture capitalist John Werner examines how AI firms could transform traditional business models through unprecedented replication capabilities. The big picture: The concept of copyable AI firms represents a fundamental shift from human-based organizations to scalable, AI-driven enterprises that can be replicated with minimal additional cost. Traditional companies face significant bottlenecks in hiring and training talent, while AI-powered firms could theoretically duplicate their top performers infinitely The ability to convert capital into...
read Feb 22, 2025The rise of browser-based AI agents and the new tool outperforming OpenAI’s Operator
The increasing development of AI-powered browser automation has sparked intense competition among tech companies developing autonomous web navigation tools. In early 2025, several major players launched sophisticated agents capable of independently browsing websites, gathering information, and completing online transactions. Market Overview: Convergence's Proxy has emerged as a leading browser-use agent, outperforming OpenAI's recently launched Operator in real-world applications and testing scenarios. Key competitors include Google's Project Mariner, Anthropic's Computer Use, Microsoft's OmniParser V2, ByteDance's UI-TARS, and Browser-Use Convergence's innovative "Generative Tree Search" and "Web-World Models" enable the system to predict outcomes and select optimal actions While benchmark scores on the...
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