The world is changing

With the rise of agent-based artificial intelligence, executive roles are being reshaped like never before. The skills, responsibilities, and challenges are completely different from those of the past. What’s even more amazing is that this transformation is still in its infancy. Can you see the change?

We are transforming into reality where AI agents are integrated into our day-to-day lives and business operations, managing tasks that previously depended on individuals to decide and then execute. Today, AI agents act independently to achieve defined goals. They don't just respond but also interact with other systems and perform complex tasks.

How does it change technology's C level roles?

Let's delve into some key notes which can already be seen:

1. A Disruptive Thinking

The burst of AI-based technology forces leaders to think differently.
Until now, technology primarily acted as an infrastructure for systems and data. Now, technology leads to disruption. Barely anything remains as before. AI is breaking operational workflows.

For IT and security leaders, change is inevitable. As tech savvy, businesses depend on your capabilities to adopt the right AI tools and models, both functional but also securely. You do not wish to implement a new operational workflow that does the work perfectly, but after a few months (or even weeks) it is discovered to be unsecure, and you experience a massive disruptive attack.

At the modern present, small teams of individuals and effective AI agents can orchestrate a complex infrastructure or organization. Ensure that operations are automated, monitoring is enabled and protocols exist to handle changes.

In that era, tech executives will be responsible for choosing the right AI models and configuring agents in a secure manner. This will enable them to eventually handle exceptions rather than routines.
A helpful analogy is that years ago, we moved from implementing controls to managing risk. A similar change is happening. We are transforming from managing operations into managing exceptions.

2. Governance, Ethics, & Regulation

When problems are identified and resolved by AI agents including reporting and communicating with end users, responsibility for transparent governance, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity is shared across all levels. From the business side to the tech side. IT platforms provide centralized control, but someone needs to be accountable for ensuring governance, ethics and compliance. It could be the COO, the CTO and in some cases even the CISO (with the right resources). However, I believe we will see more and more TRUST officers. The next generation Trust officer will be responsible not just for well-known GRC procedures, but also wrapping them in business value indicators that can be externally communicated. This will enable building trust inside the organization but more important, with external groups. From investors, to business partners, Authorities & regulators, and obviously with clients.

3. Strategy & Digital Trust

More and more organizations design their entire ecosystem around AI models and agents.

From user onboarding, through access management and into business operations. Growing numbers of work cycles start, operate and end with AI tools and agents. Therefore, organizations need a strong yet flexible strategy for onboard AI tools and agents as much as they need a business strategy. One of the most valuable and effective strategies should include building digital trust. Digital trust will become the currency of business success.

4. Collaboration

AI systems must be adapted to organizational culture, user needs, and business vision, which is a cross-departmental challenge in the autonomous era.

Successful collaboration must include integrating IT into business strategies.
That would include different AI agents for different business departments.
Thus, IT executives must understand not just the nature of the businesses they work in, but also how different business units operate and function.
To increase collaboration, they should speak with business terms and language.

5. Conclusions:

The fear of an agentic vision among business leaders is primarily due to an inability to comprehend AI's essence or how it works. It makes sense, but progress can't be stopped.
If organizations do not jump on board soon, they could fall behind their competitors, just as history has shown with previous disruptive technologies.

The big question is not will it happen? The big Q is how will you embrace change?

Appointing a responsible and accountable executive, building an AI policy, and developing a solid and secure AI onboarding process are the three most significant actions to perform.
Once these actions are taken, the transformation is in process.
The end goal should be developing and sustaining digital trust with internal and external groups.

Everything in between is up to you!