AI Agents Are Taking Over Workflows—But Even Robots Need a Boss 🤖

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Hello, Visionary CTOs! 🌟

This week, we’re exploring the frontier where humans and technology collide in fascinating ways. From AI agents that need their own “managers” to IBM’s quest for quantum dominance, and even the rise of living intelligence that could redefine innovation itself—these aren’t just ideas; they’re the blueprint for the future.

Curious about what’s next? Whether it’s harnessing AI’s potential or preparing for the quantum revolution, these stories will leave you inspired and ready to think bigger.

Let’s dive into the next wave of game-changing advancements.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

• AI Agents Are Here, But They Need a Manager 🤖 

• Why "Living Intelligence" Will Redefine Everything 🌱

• IBM's Quantum Leap: The Largest Quantum Computer Ever Is Coming 🧠

AI Agents Are Here, But They Need a Manager 🤖 read the full 1,285-word article here

Article published: December 30, 2024

AI agents are being heralded as the next big thing in workforce automation. This ZDNet article by Joe McKendrick dives into the promise—and the pitfalls—of letting these "digital workers" take over.

Salesforce's new Agentforce 2.0 platform boasts autonomous AI agents that interact in Slack and handle workflows with precision. But here’s the catch: just like human workers, these digital agents need oversight.

AI can intuit processes, create solutions, and even collaborate with other AI agents. Yet issues like traceability, unpredictability, and reliability still loom large, requiring careful management. The future workforce may not just include AI agents—it may also demand a new role: the AI systems engineer.

In other words, these robots may never sleep, but they still need a boss.

Key Takeaways:

• 🛠️ AI agents can create solutions autonomously: They perform tasks like forecasting demand and placing orders before supplies run out, saving businesses time and resources.

• 🧩 AI still lacks full traceability: The "black box" nature of large language models makes it difficult to track how decisions are made, impacting trust.

• 👩‍💻 Enter the AI systems engineer: This emerging role ensures oversight of agents, preventing bad data from causing cascading failures across systems.

• 💡 AI supplements, not replaces, humans: Experts emphasize that agentic AI is a tool to augment human skills—not an outright replacement for human ingenuity.

Why "Living Intelligence" Will Redefine Everything 🌱 read the full 2,477-word article here

Article published: January 6, 2025

This Harvard Business Review article by Amy Webb introduces a provocative concept: living intelligence—a convergence of AI, advanced sensors, and biotechnology. It's not just about smarter algorithms; it's about systems that can sense, adapt, and evolve.

Webb argues that many companies are too focused on AI alone, missing the massive disruption forming at the intersection of these technologies. For example, advanced sensors, now ubiquitous, are poised to fuel the next generation of AI by collecting real-time, granular data from our environments. Meanwhile, biotechnology is advancing toward creating "living machines," with breakthroughs like bioengineered nanobots and lab-grown brain cells that can process information like a computer.

This is no distant future. Leaders need to act now to harness living intelligence—or risk being swept away by the tidal wave of innovation it will unleash.

Key Takeaways:

• 🌐 The rise of advanced sensors: Sensors everywhere—from phones to water meters—will power AI by feeding it real-time, multimodal data streams.

• 🧬 Bioengineering meets AI: Generative biology and nanobots can diagnose diseases, create self-regulating materials, and even mimic brain functions for computing.

• 🤖 Large Action Models (LAMs): These new AI systems will predict and execute actions, going beyond generating content to managing entire tasks autonomously.

• 🚀 Business leaders must prepare now: Success depends on early adoption, building foresight, and educating workforces on how to collaborate with living intelligence.

IBM's Quantum Leap: The Largest Quantum Computer Ever Is Coming 🧠 read the full 250-word article here

Article published: January 1, 2025

IBM is setting its sights on a groundbreaking feat in 2025: building the largest quantum computer the world has ever seen.

In just six years since releasing its first commercial quantum computer, IBM has come a long way. That first device had 20 qubits—basic units of quantum computing. Now, its flagship chip, Condor, boasts 1,121 qubits, though most users only require about 100 qubits for their work.

But IBM isn’t stopping there. By linking smaller machines together, the company plans to triple the current qubit record (1,180 qubits, held by Atom Computing). IBM’s researchers are pioneering an approach to combine quantum components, believing this strategy is essential to achieving true "quantum advantage"—the point where quantum computers outperform classical ones in solving real-world problems.

2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in quantum innovation, and IBM wants to lead the charge.

Key Takeaways:

• 🔗 IBM’s new approach combines machines: Rather than simply enlarging chips, IBM plans to connect smaller devices for exponential quantum growth.

• 📈 Quantum leaps in six years: IBM’s quantum computing has grown from 20 qubits in 2019 to 1,121 qubits with its Condor chip today.

• 🏆 Competition heats up: IBM aims to reclaim the qubit record from Atom Computing’s 1,180-qubit device unveiled in 2023.

• 🌍 Toward "quantum advantage": IBM’s goal is not just size but real-world breakthroughs where quantum computing outpaces classical methods.

Why It Matters

Technology is no longer just a tool—it’s an evolving force shaping every aspect of our world. As AI agents become indispensable, quantum computing pushes limits, and living intelligence emerges, the need for human vision and leadership is more critical than ever.

The way we engage with these advancements will define the opportunities, challenges, and solutions of tomorrow.

Let’s not just follow the future—let’s lead it, together.

Rachel Miller
Editor-in-Chief
CTO Executive Insights