This week brought exciting updates on how AI agents are changing businesses worldwide. In Taiwan, 17Life used Microsoft’s AI tools to create smarter product tags and recommendations, saving time and improving shopping experiences. Banks like ABN AMRO in the Netherlands now handle millions of customer chats yearly with AI assistants like Anna and Abby, automating over half of all interactions.

Companies are also using AI to handle money tasks faster. Accenture built an AI agent to chase late payments, helping clients collect cash up to 20% quicker. A new report shows workers are using AI for daily jobs three times more than bosses realize, with many expecting big changes in 1-5 years.

Tech giants are racing to release smarter AI. Microsoft is upgrading servers for OpenAI’s GPT-5, which could launch in May with better reasoning skills. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s Claude 4 update promises web search powers similar to ChatGPT’s newest tools. These advances might soon help businesses automate tasks like marketing and research.