AI agent pioneers share 3 hard lessons (opens the source in a new tab)
- Adobe, Salesforce, Kyndryl and Freeport-McMoRan all failed and pivoted, then concluded: solve a specific problem, pair tech with business teams, and chase ROI.
- Salesforce cut hundreds of agents to a few; its legal-routing squad lifted first-time-right routing from 12% to 34%, saving over $350,000 a year.
- Freeport-McMoRan’s agents processed about $500mn of invoices in six months; Kyndryl says automating a clunky process ‘made it more complicated’.
- 74%
- expect agent redesign
- 16%
- feel prepared
- 12→34%
- right-first-time
Why it matters Agents pay off only when the workflow is rethought first.
Other side These are top-ranked adopters, and two sell agents themselves. Are their wins typical, or the best case?