Agentic AI Impact Across Industries

Agentic AI's Growing Influence

Agentic AI is rapidly emerging as a transformative force across industries, reshaping how businesses operate and engage with customers. This advanced technology, which leverages autonomous AI agents, is poised to revolutionize sectors such as retail, finance, and healthcare. As companies increasingly adopt agentic AI, they are discovering its potential to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive innovation.

Industry analysts, including Gartner and IDC, have highlighted the steady advancement of agentic AI, predicting it will reach peak productivity within the next decade. While AI assistants currently dominate the market, autonomous agents are expected to become the norm, potentially replacing traditional applications like CRM software with more intelligent, agent-driven solutions.

The interest in agentic AI is not limited to analysts. A recent Microsoft report revealed that 82% of IT leaders plan to integrate AI agents into their workforce within the next 12 to 18 months. These leaders envision AI agents as digital team members, augmenting workforce capacity and efficiency. Microsoft also anticipates the creation of a new professional role—the agent manager—to oversee the implementation and performance of these AI systems.

According to a Globant study, the finance, retail, and healthcare sectors are already experiencing the early impacts of agentic AI. Companies in these industries are moving beyond experimentation to structurally integrate AI agents into their operations. Gonzalo Goñi from Salesforce noted the rapid adoption of AI agents, emphasizing their potential to transform customer interactions and operational workflows.

Retail Industry Applications

The retail sector is at the forefront of agentic AI adoption, with companies leveraging AI agents to optimize customer experiences and logistics. Fernando Herranz of Leroy Merlin Spain highlighted the progressive integration of agentic AI into their omnichannel model, benefiting both customers and operational teams. AI is enabling more personalized customer relationships through strategic applications and measurable improvements.

Leroy Merlin is exploring agentic AI in various areas, including store automation, digital content generation, and personalized support. Specific use cases, such as a 24/7 virtual assistant and a Greeter AI for physical stores, are being developed to deliver measurable impact. Herranz stressed the importance of integrating AI with their omnichannel ecosystem to ensure real-time, personalized operations while maintaining customer trust through data protection and algorithmic transparency.

Carrefour Spain is another retailer embracing agentic AI. Their ai.Carrefour project aims to digitally transform teams and enhance customer service. Francisco Escalona, Carrefour’s CDO, mentioned solutions like Super Agente Uno.ai, a virtual assistant designed to optimize operational processes, from product management to store efficiency. Carrefour’s AI Advisory Council underscores their commitment to this technology, which they believe will enhance talent by automating repetitive tasks and allowing teams to focus on creativity and innovation.

Financial Services and Healthcare

In the financial services sector, companies are deploying AI agents to automate processes, improve customer service, and enhance fraud prevention. Nacho Torre of Ibercaja noted that agentic AI is an extension of generative AI, with early implementations focusing on regulatory and operational aspects. Ibercaja is developing a governance model to manage AI systems securely and adaptably, ensuring they can quickly respond to market changes without compromising security.

In healthcare, autonomous agents are being explored to alleviate administrative burdens and improve patient access to information. Dr. Ramón Puchades emphasized the early-stage nature of AI integration in healthcare, highlighting its potential in clinical practice, research, and teaching. AI agents could support diagnosis, patient monitoring, and clinical progress, while also assisting in management tasks to optimize activities and patient flow.

Despite the promising developments, both Torre and Puchades emphasized the need for rigorous validation and quality control to ensure that AI agents deliver tangible benefits without introducing risks. As agentic AI continues to evolve, its impact on industries is expected to grow, driving further innovation and transformation.