AI is ripping through big businesses like a chainsaw through butter, changing software, workflows, and even entire business plans as companies try to find that one thing that will make them more productive. The Wall Street Journal is on it: new agentic AI and multimodal beasts are making businesses rethink everything from chatty customer service to smooth supply chains. Deloitte asked 3,000 executives: 25% say AI is changing their jobs in a big way (up from 12% last year), and 34% are making new products or completely overhauling their core operations. Another 30% are rebuilding important processes around it, and 37% are just skimming the surface for quick wins in efficiency. It’s no surprise that AI stocks like Palantir (+45% YTD) and Snowflake are doing so well—boards want to get their money’s worth from the $200 billion+ yearly AI bill.
Agentic AI is the star of the show; think of it as self-running “digital employees” who do messy jobs without needing to be watched. Deloitte thinks that by 2026, U.S. stores will have one person managing 30 agents, and by 2030, that number will grow to 100. These bad boys code, test, plan, and even make tactical calls. Humans are only in charge of ethics, the big picture, and teamwork. Cisco’s “Connected Intelligence” shows AI teams talking to each other and to people, getting rid of distance. Agents can spot trends, automate flows, and change rooms in real time over Wi-Fi (for example, lights dim and HVAC tunes for savings). On the customer side? AI concierges work with people to provide instant translation and smart routing for quick fixes. PwC says that agentic flows are a must-have for 2026; they combine the accuracy of laser AI with the creativity of GenAI.
Hits some sectors more than others. Money? AI changes the rules and risks—Goldman Sachs agents cut trade checks by 70%. Like Walmart for retail? Multimodal AI chews video for inventory calls and makes them 25% more accurate. McKinsey says that the best companies redo 20% or more of their processes. Factories use AI to keep their maintenance crystal balls up to date. Pharma speeds up drugs—Pfizer’s agents work on genomics ten times faster. But there are problems: only 30% go deep (Deloitte), and the rest risk “AI fluff” for a short buzz. Data walls, a lack of skills, and ethical concerns are pushing chief AI roles to 40% of Fortune 500 boards.
The markets are hot. RPA plays like UiPath and C3.ai are up 60% on big contracts, while Salesforce AI copilots boost subs by 15%. VCs put $50 billion into agent platforms. The World Economic Forum says that AI will affect 86% of businesses by 2030, so it’s time to retrain your workers. HBS says to “change muscle” to get out of speed vs. bias traps. Regulations are heating up: the EU AI Act is coming, and the U.S. is moving slowly, but Trump’s deregulation could lead to sandboxes.
There are a lot of bad things that could happen. Cybercriminals love agent freedom—37% of companies were hit by stronger attacks. Do you have any jobs? Forrester says that by 2026, 2.4 million jobs in the U.S. will be automated, but 1.5 million new AI shepherd roles will open up. Ethics mess: biased bots make things unfair, so they need rules. Deloitte is right: you should win by thinking of new, crazy ideas, not just polishing old ones. Combine the strength of machines with the gut of people. Cisco thinks that networks will change for edge AI, becoming tough and flexible.
AI’s supercharging Corporate America: pilots to prime time, and if you do it right, you can make trillions. Trailblazers rewrite the rules, while sleepers get run over. It’s 2026, and boards are getting rid of tests in favor of agent armies and reborn ops. Get the edge with smart moves, or just watch from the sidelines.
