AI agents are changing how companies help customers around the world. AI agents are smart computer programs that can answer questions, fix problems, and help customers without a person doing the work. New reports show that more than half of customer support teams say AI helps them work faster and solve problems quicker.

Companies are learning how to use AI agents the right way. When AI agents work together with real people, customers feel happier. About 57% of customers are satisfied when AI hands off work to a real person smoothly, and 39% of customers actually like the company more. This means the best solution is not AI alone or people alone, but both working together as a team.

There is a big problem with how companies are using AI. While 88% of companies say they use AI, only 25% have actually put AI into their daily work. This means many companies bought AI tools but did not set them up correctly. Companies lose $75 billion every year because customers do not get good service.

AI agents are getting smarter and doing more jobs. Big companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are building new AI agents that can do many different tasks. These AI agents can work in customer service, marketing, and legal departments. They can handle repetitive work so real people can focus on harder problems that need human thinking and feelings.

The key to success is making sure AI helps customers without making them frustrated. Customers do not like being stuck talking to AI when they need a real person. They also do not want to explain their problem over and over. When companies design AI carefully to let customers reach a real person easily and remember what the customer said, customers trust the company more and buy more products. In 2026, companies that get this balance right will win, and companies that do not will lose customers.