AI agents will become brand ambassadors in ‘Agentic Era’ – study

Telecom company Amdocs released a global study revealing that AI agents will represent brands in the upcoming “Agentic Era.” 

The Agentic Era refers to the ongoing shift in AI development from making “bigger” models into building assistants for specific purposes.

Amdocs commissioned, “Rethinking Brand and Customer Experience in the Agentic Era,” in collaboration with McCann Tech agency and Coleman Parkes.

How will the Agentic Era affect brands?

The study says that in the ongoing era, AI assistants will perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with customers.

Nowadays, they are becoming brand representatives. They speak the brand’s language, aligning with its values, and engaging with clients.

READ: Google Gemini 2.0 prepares for a future of AI agents

This development elevates AI from a tool to a brand’s extension. Consequently, brands must design digital representatives to shape customer perceptions and uphold brand integrity.

This adjustment is especially important for communications service providers (CSPs), financial services providers, and other service-intensive brands.

The AI assistant study also examined consumer and CSP expectations for the Agentic Era. 

It surveyed and interviewed focus groups of 120 CSP leaders and 7,025 consumers. They were 18 to 69 and lived in 14 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Specifically, it suggests most consumers are willing to interact with digital agents and have a positive attitude towards them.

What do Filipinos think about AI agents?

The study involved 501 Philippine consumers and revealed their perception toward AI agents:

• 55% of Pinoy consumers see CSPs using AI agents as “futuristic and innovative.”
• 39% of consumers believe using these digital assistants demonstrates a CSP’s commitment to better customer service. Moreover, this perception exceeds the 30% global average.
• 41% are worried they will become cost-cutting methods.
• 52% of Filipino consumers said they would prefer interacting with a personal AI agent. Again, the Philippines exceeds the 45% global figure.
• 59% are willing to switch to a telecom provider that offers superior personal AI agents.
• 47% of consumers want to customize their AI assistant’s characteristics.
• 27% of Filipino consumers expressed discomfort over interacting with AI agents. On the other hand, CSPs believe 58% will hesitate to use these assistants, which shows an overestimation of consumer reluctance.
• 86% of Pinoy consumers expect high levels of empathy from AI assistants. 
• 86% believe AI assistants will be professional.
• 88% think these assistants will resolve their issues quickly.
• 73% expect digital agents to fix problems the first time they encounter them.

“The agentic era is a completely new era,” said Gil Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs. 

“Each brand interaction with a customer via AI agents should be seen through the paradigm of brand, context, and consumer.”

READ: AI agent that controls devices is OpenAI’s next project

The CMO said businesses should specify their brand persona, their customers’ persona, and the customer interaction context.

“Is it always the same AI agent persona or does each customer meet another persona depending on the context of the interaction?” 

“It’s a question every brand must address because as AI agents evolve…”

“…this will fundamentally, redefine how businesses interact with their customers and workforce across all channels.”