IBM has unveiled an orchestrator for autonomous AI agents: watsonx Orchestrate.
Described by IBM as a “supervisor of how work gets done”, the tool acts as the octopus head across the various autonomous AI agent suites that the business leverages.
The user can then – in natural language – tell the orchestrator which task they’d like an AI agent to automate.
From there, it pinpoints a relevant AI agent, finds pertinent internal knowledge to ground the AI Agent, and helps the user set it up.
Users can leverage a low-code interface to manage and equip agents with the necessary business logic to “ensure these autonomous systems remain grounded in business rules.” They may also interact with watsonx Orchestrate via natural language.
IBM believes that these orchestration capabilities will lead to simplified decision-making and improved tool discoverability.
As such, it can help businesses boost productivity and streamline the working experience across various departments.
AI Agents for Business
IBM announced plans for a new set of enterprise AI agents alongside its new orchestrator.
The tech giant claims that the agents combine domain expertise, business logic, and advanced GenAI to boost efficiency and productivity.
In addition, the company believes that the sector-specific innovations will help to accelerate deployment and enhance impact across business functions.
The first of these solutions to go live in beta on the IBM watsonx Orchestrate catalog is AI agents for HR.
The Rise of Agentic AI
IBM is the latest big-name CX vendor to make a move in what is fast becoming the most significant tech development in the space.
In a nutshell, AI agents operate autonomously with minimal supervision, handling tasks of varying complexity using large language models (LLMs) and various other AI models.
Of the other heavy hitters in the industry, Salesforce’s offering has arguably been the most substantial so far.
Dubbed Agentforce, the solution enables businesses to quickly deploy over 100 preconfigured AI agents and build their own.
Indeed, with its low/no-code Agent Builder, brands can automate tasks that cross the vendor’s CRM apps. Its AI agents can also collaborate with each other.
Salesforce’s rival Microsoft has also jumped on the bandwagon, while SAP has made a splash by making AI agents available within its virtual assistant, Joule.
More News from IBM
Earlier this year, IBM and Adobe expanded their long-standing partnership to support clients in adopting generative AI (GenAI).
The collaboration integrates IBM’s watsonx.ai and Consulting platforms with Adobe’s Experience Platform and AI Assistant to deliver scalable personalization.
By combining hybrid cloud, data, and multi-model GenAI, the alliance aims to enhance marketing, content creation, and brand governance.
