From Copilots to Orchestrators: AI Agents Reshape IBM's Automation Playbook
The Evolution Beyond Copilots
AI agents are emerging as the next evolution in enterprise intelligence, moving beyond copilots to autonomous systems capable of driving outcomes. As companies adopt them across departments, complexity surges and execution risks rise. IBM Corp. is focused on developing AI agents that execute across systems rather than merely assist at the edges.
IBM's Vision for Enterprise AI Agents
According to Ritika Gunnar, general manager for data and artificial intelligence at IBM, these agents are designed to integrate with legacy and modern tools, orchestrating processes across the full sprawl of enterprise infrastructure. 'Now we're in the realm of AI that can do for you,' she said. 'This is a very powerful new chapter... we're hearing that from a lot of our clients and the use cases that they're driving.'
IBM believes we're entering what they call 'the era of systems of intelligence,' where AI agents don't just provide assistance but actively manage and execute complex business processes across multiple systems and platforms.
Integration with Existing Systems
Instead of replacing entire software stacks with AI-native applications, IBM blends agentic functionality into existing systems. This strategy includes leveraging fixed workflows, enabling agent-based enhancements, and allowing customers to scale into full orchestration when needed.
'Being able to have a good balance of bringing the benefits of agentic technology... and have it live alongside your existing systems is really critical,' Gunnar explained. 'Your existing estate is really critical in that discussion, and bringing your clients in this journey so they can see that as quickly as possible is important.'
Prebuilt AI Agents for Enterprise
To help enterprises get started, IBM has unveiled a lineup of prebuilt AI agents in areas such as human resources, sales, and procurement, with more planned in customer care and finance. These domain-specific agents can be customized, integrated, and orchestrated using IBM's frameworks.
'This is really where the power is... how do you orchestrate all those different layers?' Gunnar asked. IBM offers a new interaction paradigm to work across multi-agent orchestration frameworks, across all systems, whether those be agents, tools, or anything else underneath.
Unlocking Unstructured Data
The agentic strategy converges with IBM's push to unlock unstructured data. IBM's watsonx offerings aim to bridge IT and business needs by enabling users to build intelligent AI agents grounded in enterprise data.
'We believe that we're going to see an explosion of the 90% of unstructured data that today has been untapped... unlocked by the fact that we can now use gen AI to... have much better document understanding,' Gunnar said. 'You're untapping a whole new set of intelligence that's now available.'
The Future of Enterprise Intelligence
IBM's approach represents a shift from AI as a tool to AI as an orchestrator of business processes. This evolution promises to transform how enterprises operate, making them more efficient, responsive, and intelligent in their decision-making processes.