Before IBM customers began using AI agents, they frequently struggled to handle numerous customer questions and complex tasks manually. This resulted in slow responses and unhappy customers. It was tough for businesses to keep up as demands grew. At the same time, they are striving to maintain high service quality. The pressure to respond faster and better was really tough. Then IBM's AI agents came along. They help with routine work and provide quick, accurate answers. They help companies work faster and make customers happier. In this article, we'll look at what AI agents do and how IBM customers are using them to change the way they do business.

What is an AI agent?

An AI agent is like a helper that can do tasks on its own. The best thing is that you don't need to guide it all the time. It can look at what’s happening around it, understand that information, and decide what to do next. For example, in a customer service center, an AI agent can talk to customers, solve common problems, or even send the issue to a human if needed.

What makes AI agents really useful is that they don't just follow fixed rules. They learn and get better over time. This means they can handle multiple tasks and continue working even when circumstances change around them.

Why IBM customers use AI Agents

IBM customers use AI agents for multiple reasons. Here are some benefits they get while using AI agents.

• AI agents handle both simple and complex tasks automatically. It helps things to run smoothly.
• They can read customer questions, find the right answers, and often fix issues without human help.
• AI agents connect with other tools to provide intelligent suggestions, such as recommending products or checking real-time traffic and weather conditions.
• They’re always available and can answer questions any time, in many languages.
• By performing basic tasks such as ticket creation or order tracking, they allow humans to focus on more complex or sensitive tasks.
• Companies can reduce the size of their support teams and save money on operations.
• AI agents analyze customer data and help businesses improve products and services.

How customers measure AI agent performance

IBM customers use different ways to check how well AI agents are doing. These different ways are explained below:

• Accuracy: Customers verify that the AI provides accurate answers. For example, does it catch spam emails correctly?
• Speed and Efficiency: They see how fast the AI replies. Quick answers mean better service.
• Scalability: they check if the AI can handle more users or tasks without slowing down.
• User Satisfaction: Feedback and surveys help know if users are happy with the AI. If people like using it, that’s a good sign.
• Task Completion: Customers evaluate how often the AI assists in completing a task.
• Conversation Quality: For chatbots, smooth and clear chats are important. It should feel natural and easy to talk to.
• Fairness: The AI should treat everyone equally. It should not show bias or make unfair choices.
• Adaptability: A good AI learns and gets better over time. Customers want agents who can improve.
• Custom Checks: Some businesses use specialized tests to verify safety or meet their specific needs.

Real examples from IBM customers

Many IBM customers are experiencing tangible improvements in their work processes and client service. For example, Camping World, a major RV retailer, uses an AI assistant named Arvee. Since introducing Arvee, customer engagement has gone up by 40%. Wait times dropped from hours to just 33 seconds, and their live support team is now 33% more productive. The AI handles common customer questions, allowing human agents to focus on more complex tasks.

Vodafone has also achieved significant results by utilizing IBM's AI tools. What used to take over six hours to test now takes less than a minute. This faster process helps them maintain fresh and efficient customer service. In San Antonio, the public transportation system created a digital assistant named Ava. Ava answers over 3,000 questions each month in both English and Spanish. She even gives bus arrival updates, which makes traveling easy for locals.

Tricon Steamship Agency used IBM’s automation tools to reduce the time spent filling out forms from four hours a week to just 30 minutes. So, their team focuses more on helping customers and less on paperwork. The city of Helsinki also used ten virtual assistants across different departments. These bots now handle up to 300 contacts every day. They help connect systems and break down data silos. So staff can better support citizens.

The Future of AI Agents at IBM

IBM is working diligently to improve its AI agents. They plan to utilize new brain-like systems and specialized AI hardware. Therefore, AI agents can perform well and undertake more complex tasks. In the future, these AI agents won’t just follow commands. They'll work independently and plan projects. To manage this, IBM is also building tools to keep things safe and trustworthy.

IBM is creating flexible tools like Watson Orchestrate. Therefore, businesses can effectively incorporate AI into their everyday operations, such as HR, IT, and finance. These tools can also be integrated with various AI models, including those from other companies. Therefore, businesses will finally have the option to choose the AI agent that works best for them.

Final thoughts

AI agents are rapidly becoming part of every business. These tools are changing how work gets done and opening new doors for growth and innovation. AI agents bring a lot of exciting benefits. But they also come with challenges. One of the major concerns is privacy and security. It’s important to protect that data from misuse or cyberattacks. Another risk is depending too much on AI. If companies rely fully on automation without human oversight, small errors can escalate into significant problems. Still, if used wisely, AI agents can do great things. The key is balance. You should use the power of AI to improve work while keeping things fair, clear, and under human control.