The whispers began in muffled servers rooms, then grew up in a roar in the C. AI agents; autonomous digital workers; The promise of an unlimited workforce, capable of managing everything, from banal tasks to complex strategic decisions.
Now, according to new research Since Mulesoftdone in collaboration with Vanson Bourne And Deloitte DigitalThe revolution is upon us. 97% of APAC computer leaders have either deployed or plan to deploy these digital soldiers over the next two years. But under the threshing media, a critical vulnerability threatens to derail the whole business: integration.
It is not only a technological hiccup. It is a fundamental defect in the great vision. AI agents, despite all their supposed shine, are as good as the data they consume. These are digital Davids without their slinging if they cannot access the interconnected information network that feeds their decision -making. And right now, this web is a tangled mess.
Research depicts a brutal image. A shocking 95% of APAC companies admit that they have trouble with data integration. We are talking about a Babel digital tower, where critical information languishes in isolated silos, inaccessible to the same agents designed to release it. Only 27% of applications, on average, are linked within organizations. This means that the vast majority of data – the vital element of any intelligent agent – remains trapped, which makes these tools potentially powerful a little more than glorified chatbots.
Think about it. These agents are supposed to extract data from CRM, ERP, HCM systems, even through the digital detritus of emails, PDF and Slack channels. They are intended to synthesize this information and to act independently, leading everything, from customer service to the management of the supply chain. But how can they stretch this promise if they work with a fraction of the necessary information?
Irony is palpable. The teams, teams, already stretched and struggling to meet the requirements of digital transformation, are now faced with a tide of tide of AI agents. They spend millions on these solutions, hoping for an increase in productivity, while fighting simultaneously with the very infrastructure that undermines their effectiveness. The report reveals that the delays in the IT project are increasing, and the workloads should increase by an additional 16% in the coming year. It is a recipe for professional exhaustion, a perfect storm of technological ambition and infrastructure insufficiency.
The problem is aggravated by the pure complexity of modern IT environments. Organizations are drowning in applications – an average of 912 in APAC, this number of towels at 1,130 for those who deploy AI agents. And the AI model landscape explodes, the average number of models used more than double in just one year. Each new application, each new model, represents another potential data silo, another barrier to transparent integration.
But there is a glimmer of hope. Research highlights the crucial role of integration led by the API in the bridge of these divisions. Organizations that adopt APIs see tangible advantages, improving computer infrastructure and data sharing with automated workflows and increased productivity. APIs are the connective tissue that can weave disparate systems together, creating the unified data landscape of which AI agents are looking for.
“First -rate organizations must establish a proactive integration strategy to unify the entire IT succession, encompassing applications and systems, automation and APIs, which are all essential to stimulate income growth and reduction operational costs, ”said Beena AmmanathThe world leader of the Deloitte AI Institute in a press release.
Adecco groupThe Global Talent Solutions Company offers a case study. By taking advantage of DirtyAgentforce and integrating data on 40 different systems using Mulesoft and Data Cloud, they reinvent the recruitment process. This level of integration allows recruiters to personalize the service, speed up internships and stimulate efficiency – a testimony of the transforming power of connected data.
The report also reveals the surprising income potential of APIs. APAC IT leaders believe that 38% of their business income is generated by APIs and API implementations. This number increases to 45% for organizations using AI agents, highlighting the direct link between integration, EA efficiency and net growth.
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For CDOs, this research is an alarm clock. The AI agent’s revolution is not only to deploy the latest algorithms. It is a question of building the underlying infrastructure which allows these agents to prosper.
Priority to data integration is not only a technical necessity; It is a strategic imperative. Without a cohesive integration strategy, AI agents will remain a collection of expensive toys, will not hold their promise of a limitless digital workforce.
“AI agents are ready to transform companies with unlimited digital work,” said Andrew ComstockMulesoft’s main vice-president and managing director. “We see the forecasts of new levels of efficiency and productivity with human unified workforce and agent. However, to unlock this new capacity, integration and APIs are essential to build a ready -made base for the agent. »»
The CDOs must defend the development of a robust architecture and focused on the API which breaks down the data silos and unlocks the true potential of the AI. Do not only do so not only hinder the adoption of AI, but will also compromise the organization’s ability to compete in the digital economy increasingly based on data. The future belongs to those who connect the points, not only those who collect them.
Image credit: istockphoto /Colematt