Salesforce showcases autonomous AI agents in Auckland event

Over 1,300 attendees gathered to explore the impact of autonomous AI agents at Salesforce's Agentforce World Tour in Auckland.

These agents represent a new form of software with the capability of performing tasks autonomously.

An agent operates by searching for relevant data, analysing it to formulate a plan, and then executing that plan. They can function independently or interact with human employees, offering a service that exceeds current chatbot and copilot experiences.

Participants at the event were hands-on, creating more than 420 autonomous AI agents. These agents were designed for various purposes, from customer support to addressing unique sales and marketing challenges. Attendees needed only to provide a simple use case description, and within minutes their voice and text inputs were transformed into a working AI agent prototype without any coding skills required.

The audience was comprised of Salesforce customers and early adopters, with notable mentions of companies such as Fisher & Paykel, Parkable, Media Works, realestate.co.nz, McLeod Cranes, and Stats NZ. Representatives from these companies shared how they have integrated AI into various workflows, particularly in areas like marketing, customer service, and finance.

Hamish Miles, New Zealand Country Leader at Salesforce, shared his thoughts during a keynote address, stating, "It's what AI was meant to be. The excitement levels are palpable; the level of interest and engagement with Agentforce is as high as I've ever seen it for launching a new tech product here in New Zealand."

"Agentforce is so easy to implement, and so rapid to deliver impact, there'll be a clear advantage to those organisations who adopt it."

Sarah Lukins, General Manager Digital at Fisher & Paykel, described the benefits for their brand, "Being a luxury premium brand, our customers have very high expectations. We want to separate ourselves from our competitors and the only way to be able to do that is through the Salesforce platform."

Abi Spence, Global Head of Marketing for Parkable, also commented on the development, "It's hard to not be caught up in the hype surrounding Agentforce. It was great to be here in Auckland in person to see these new autonomous AI agents in action. This third wave of AI gives marketers like myself plenty to think about as we plan our customer engagement strategies."

Fisher & Paykel and Parkable's insights underscore the transformative potential of AI agents in enhancing customer interactions and broadening business capabilities.