A practical, non-technical guide for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and curious minds

"Agents are (…) bringing about the biggest revolution in computing since we went from typing commands to tapping on icons." — Bill Gates

"AI agents will become the primary way we interact with computers in the future.” — Satya Nadella

"The age of agentic AI is here"— Jensen Huang

In a world where ChatGPT took us by storm, a far more powerful revolution is unfolding: AI Agents. Like Jarvis in Iron Man or Samantha in Her, these intelligent systems can execute actions, learn from experience, and orchestrate digital interactions with minimal human supervision. They promise to redefine business and society.

However, behind the excitement lies a crucial reality: a significant gap between promise and reality.

This comprehensive guide on agentic AI cuts through the hype and offers a clear, jargon-free strategic roadmap to understanding and applying this technology. The authors bring a rare perspective, having implemented agentic AI across diverse organizations—from global enterprises to agile startups—witnessing both remarkable successes and sobering failures.

Through illuminating case studies and hands-on experiments, the authors reveal:

- A step-by-step method for identifying high-value agentic opportunities and building impactful agents in your business, work, and personal life

- The secrets behind today's most successful agentic transformations at scale: cutting costs by over 25% while boosting customer satisfaction by over 40%

- Approaches to seize the new opportunities of the Agent Economy—new business models, Agentic-driven startups, rapid scaling, and game-changing revenue opportunities.

- Hands-on guidance to navigate common pitfalls such as workflow integration, error handling, data quality, agent control, and user adoption

- The new mindset and skills required to lead effectively in a world where humans and AI agents need to work seamlessly together

The profound impact of agentic AI on society, employment, education, and our personal lives

AI agents create what the authors call "compounding intelligence advantages"—the more they're used, the smarter they become, creating an accelerating gap between early adopters and laggards. Hence, those who understand and leverage AI agents today will define the next business era.

The question isn’t whether AI agents will transform your industry—it’s how you will lead that change. Every revolution demands foresight and responsibility. This book challenges you to not just adopt agentic AI, but to shape it with purpose and integrity.

Thomas H. Davenport