There is a lot of hype surrounding AI agents for customer engagement, but the reality is that they can unlock value for businesses by providing human-like dialogue and performing actions on behalf of a business or customer. To get started with AI agents, it's essential to assess your current customer journey and identify areas where friction exists, such as long hold times or difficulty in making changes to orders. You should also consider where you're sending 1-way communications today and whether there are opportunities for 2-way dialogue that could drive a richer customer experience and business outcomes. When designing AI agents, it's crucial to take a hybrid approach that allows customers to engage with both AI agents and human employees, and to use intelligent routing to escalate conversations when necessary. Additionally, you should consider the bi-directional flow of data through the agent and ensure that it has access to relevant customer data to provide personalized interactions. By embracing the future of AI agents and implementing them thoughtfully in your customer journey, businesses can drive more meaningful engagements with their customers while driving new value at scale.