The Accenture report added that advancements in these AI agents will drive a new software paradigm that allows the creation of custom user interfaces.
Significant Changes in AI Agents’ Performance in The Next Decade
According to Accenture, a global financial services company, AI agents will become the main app users within the next decade. The firm explained that the future is leaning towards AI-powered autonomy.
Karthik Narain, Accenture’s CTO, explained that the disruption in technology systems started when AI foundation models broke through the constraints of natural languages. Narain states that these AI agents show great promise by using proper documentation and simple codes to create highly accurate functions and APIs.
These technological infrastructures and architectures will run on enterprises that AI powers. The CTO also explained that AI agents can use digital core to connect information origins and analytical platforms to develop meaningful decisions and actions.
Meanwhile, more than 45% of the executives in the study expect AI agents to improve task functions and integrations soon. The report also noted the rising use of AI agents in generative user interfaces and added that advancements in these autonomous systems will drive a new software paradigm that makes custom user interfaces possible.
AI Agents and Generative AI in Consumer Retail
In retail, AI is already revolutionizing the customer experience. A recent survey by Capgemini found that 71% of consumers expect generative AI to be integrated into their shopping experiences.
This demand is strong among Gen Z and Millennials, who value personalized interactions and digital convenience. Retailers are responding by adopting AI to meet these expectations and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.
Furthermore, AI-powered tools improve product discovery. 58% of consumers use generative AI over traditional search engines for product recommendations. These AI systems pull information from search engines, social media platforms, and retailer websites to give targeted recommendations.
This preference for AI-powered tools shows that the way consumers think about shopping is changing, with a preference for speed and personalization. One-quarter of consumers now rely on recommendations powered by AI.
Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are also increasingly important in product discovery. In 2024, 70% of Gen Z consumers used these platforms to discover products, up from 45% in 2023.
Transforming Retail Interactions with Generative AI and Social Media
Social media has continued to evolve the retail experience, with 40% of consumers using these channels for customer service. It has also become a powerful tool for retailers to use targeted ads to capture consumers’ attention when deciding which products to buy.
In-store advertisements don’t usually work for in-store shoppers, but online ads have proven more effective: 67% of consumers notice ads while browsing a retailer’s website or app. Personalization remains the way to consumers’ hearts.
Hence, demand for more personalized experiences keeps growing, with retailers turning to technologies like interactive touchscreens, smart mirrors, and shopping cart displays to create such experiences.
This forms a basis for businesses to enhance customer interaction in-store and online. AI’s influence also extended to the holiday shopping season, with Salesforce reporting that AI-powered tools generated $229 billion in global online sales during the 2024 holiday period.
AI-driven product recommendations, personalized promotions, and customer service interactions significantly drove these sales. Mobile commerce, which accounted for nearly 70% of global online sales, also proves AI’s growing importance in shaping consumer behavior.
Preparing for an AI Agent-Driven Future
As AI agents become increasingly integral to consumer and enterprise systems, businesses must prepare for a future where these systems play a central role in operations. Accenture recommends starting with internal, task-specific agents to test their capabilities.
Over time, companies can expand these agents’ functions, learning from their performance to develop more sophisticated systems. However, trust and transparency will be essential in the widespread adoption of AI agents.
Organizations must implement robust monitoring systems to track these autonomous systems’ data usage, outputs, and behavior. In addition, organizations must establish clear governance frameworks and communication plans to help employees and consumers feel confident in these AI agents’ capabilities.
