AI Agents Reshape Business Operations

Agentic AI takes center stage at CES 2026. Agency holding companies are making AI the operating layer that connects all workflows—not just a bolt-on tool. The shift matters because agencies use AI for brainstorming (86%) but rarely for execution (44.4%).

Physical AI breakthroughs accelerate production. NVIDIA released Alpamayo, a platform powering Mercedes-Benz's upcoming CLA vehicle with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. Nemotron Speech ASR processes speech 10 times faster than traditional systems, already integrated into Bosch in-car command systems.

Compact, powerful models emerge. Falcon-H1R (7 billion parameters) matches systems 7 times larger, scoring 88.1% on advanced math benchmarks. This efficiency unlocks robotics, autonomous vehicles, and edge devices.

Retail transforms into agent commerce. 70% of consumers welcome AI shopping assistants. Microsoft launches agentic features in Dynamics 365 (preview February 2026), letting retailers build autonomous customer experiences.

The pressure is real. 57% of leaders fear AI content oversupply, while 35% worry about job disruption. Yet 62% of organizations remain in experimental phases with agentic AI—creating first-mover advantages.

Action now: Prepare your systems for agent-to-agent interactions and API integrations.