Healthcare and financial services are among the sectors leading the way in transformative AI deployments, leveraging use cases such as ultra fast data processing and drug discovery.
These early ‘leaders’ in AI innovation can offer lessons for other industries as CIOs globally seek to transition from experimentation to demonstrable business success.
Recent research from Google Cloud shows that between 32% and 45% of UK enterprises surveyed expect to see a return on investment (ROI) from AI use cases within the next year, with 30% already achieving this in customer service and 38% in individual productivity.[1]
Figures from the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority show 75% of firms already using AI. Banks are leveraging generative AI (genAI) and machine learning to transform the customer experience or speed up credit analysis and risk assessment. Automated decision-making features in over half (55%) of AI deployments in the sector.[2]
In healthcare, genAI is being harnessed to model complex molecules and predict their interactions, accelerating the pace with which firms can discover new treatments or repurpose existing drugs.
In the UK, healthcare services specialist Simplyhealth uses Service AI to empower service teams to be even more customer-centric and efficient, achieving 90% productivity gains for agents and saving 90+ hours a week.
Simplyhealth now has what it calls ‘the contact centre of dreams.’ Agents work from one console in Service Cloud that centralises the company’s extensive knowledge base containing T&Cs for every policy it offers. They serve customers by email, phone, live chat, and soon, WhatsApp.
The new agentic era
There are further gains to be unlocked as we enter the next phase of AI, where enterprises shift from task-based automation to developing custom AI agents that act autonomously in pursuit of more complex goals. Gartner predicts that, by 2028, agentic AI will make 15% of daily work decisions.[3]
Agentforce — the new agentic layer on the Salesforce Platform — allows Secret Escapes to automate routine tasks and simplify workflows, providing faster, more efficient customer support.
The Adecco Group’s recruiters receive 300 million applications every year. Agentforce will help them engage with 100% of applicants so they can hire faster and focus on building relationships.
Meanwhile at Capita, autonomous agents also provide 24/7 assistance during recruitment, enabling candidates to complete the process in days rather than weeks.
The businesses taking maximum advantage of their AI investments are those that have their data fabrics and pipelines in shape, bringing together siloed data into a deeply unified platform.
They’re also focusing their efforts on clear use cases with demonstrable business value. Instead of looking for applications for AI technology, they’re taking a problem-first approach.
As Paul O’Sullivan, SVP Solution Engineering, UKI at Salesforce puts it: “Look at your employees, at what they do – the actual jobs to be done. Look at the data they have access to, the actions they have to take and the channel in which they do it. Be really intentional and go for the marginal gains.”
Indeed, O’Sullivan thinks that AI gives enterprises space to look beyond productivity and free employees to focus on more strategic work, whether that’s deepening customer relationships or exploring new lines of business.
“What are you going to get out of your workforce with that extra 10% output?” he says. “What are you going to get them to do now? Let’s be really focused on the extra opportunities.”
Innovate with agentic AI
Businesses across a range of sectors are already leveraging agentic AI, simplifying complex operations in finance and transforming patient experiences. It’s crucial for forward thinking CIOs to consider how they can leverage this technology to drive innovation.
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[1]Generative AI investments deliver strong ROI for UK business, SME, 19/8/24/2024
[2]New findings from BoE and FCA survey on AI adoption in UK financial services, TechUK, 25/11/24
[3]The National CIO Review, October 2024, LIVE from Gartner IT Symposium: The Rise of Agentic AI