Artificial Intelligence has moved fast, but what’s coming next will move differently.
For years, we’ve relied on Assist AI: systems designed to accelerate our work, automate tasks, and summarise data. These assistants have been invaluable, they’ve freed up time, reduced repetitive tasks, and improved accuracy.
But now, a new era is unfolding, the era of Agentic AI. And it will change not just how we work, but who we become as leaders.
From Assistant to Agent
Assist AI executes commands; Agentic AI acts with intent.
Instead of waiting for human prompts, it analyses goals, prioritises, and takes initiative. Imagine an AI that doesn’t just report campaign performance, but decides which channel to optimise, executes the update, and measures the impact, in real time.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s already happening. The global Agentic AI market is projected to grow from about US $28 billion in 2024 to nearly US $127 billion by 2029, a compound annual growth rate of 35 % (Markets and Markets).
At Salesforce, we’re seeing this shift first-hand. Our own Agentic AI platform, Agentforce, already serves 8,000 customers worldwide and generated over US $100 million in annual order value within months of launch (CFODive).
Reimagining Work and Leadership
According to Salesforce Research, HR leaders expect the use of AI agents, what some call “digital labour” to grow by 327 % by 2027, rising from 15 % today to 64 % in just two years (Salesforce Research).
And Gartner predicts that by 2029, 80 % of common customer-service issues will be resolved autonomously by AI agents, driving up to 30 % reduction in operational costs (Gartner Report).
For CMOs and marketing leaders, this means one thing: we are no longer managing teams of people alone, we are leading ecosystems of humans and agents.
That requires a new kind of leadership, one grounded in trust, empathy, and mental agility. As a certified mental trainer, I’ve learned that real transformation happens when we shift from control to co-creation. The same applies to AI. Our job is no longer to command machines, but to collaborate with them.
The Human Edge in an Automated World
Technology is only as transformative as the consciousness behind it.
In my entrepreneurial work, through Talvia and Bring Women Back to Work (BWBW), I’ve witnessed how digital innovation can accelerate equality and opportunity. Yet the real breakthrough doesn’t come from code; it comes from human connection.
As Agentic AI evolves, we must ensure it reflects our best human values, inclusion, empathy, creativity, and ethics.
That’s why Salesforce is so focused on Trusted AI, building systems that are transparent, auditable, and aligned with human purpose (Salesforce Report: Achieving a Trusted Agentic AI Ecosystem).
Marketing in the Age of Intelligent Agents
For marketers, the impact is profound. Today, fewer than 10 % of marketing professionals use Agentic AI in their workflows (Performance Marketing World). But adoption is accelerating rapidly.
By 2028, one in five marketing functions may be performed by AI agents, allowing human marketers to focus on strategy, creativity, and storytelling (IDC Blog).
Even consumers are adapting: 37 % of consumers and 44 % of Gen Z say they’re comfortable with AI agents delivering personalised experiences (Salesforce AI Stats).
The opportunity is clear: AI will handle the mechanics; humans will elevate the meaning.
The Mindset Shift
As leaders, entrepreneurs, and marketers, our challenge is not to keep up with AI, it’s to grow with it.
Agentic AI is not replacing human intelligence. It’s inviting us to evolve. It’s asking us to lead with curiosity, to embrace new mental models, and to train our teams and ourselves for adaptive, emotionally intelligent collaboration.
In this new paradigm, success belongs to those who can balance data with depth, automation with authenticity, and speed with soul.
Final Thought
Call to Action
🔹 Learn more: Salesforce Report – The Human Impact of Agentic AI 🔹 Discover how Agentforce can transform your business: Explore Agentforce 🔹 Dive deeper: Achieving a Trusted Agentic AI Ecosystem 🔹 Sign-up for our next Event coming up on the 24th of November in Lausanne 🔹 Salesforce + or watch the Dreamforce Keynote
