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How to strategically adopt AI

Becca Lough

As AI continues to grow fast, companies are figuring out how to use it not just for small tasks, but to change how their business runs. In this webinar, we talked about the latest news in AI, the rise of powerful “agents,” and how businesses can start using them right now.

AI is Getting Smarter—and Cheaper

OpenAI recently shared a story written by its new creative writing model. While it wasn’t officially released, the story—called A Machine Shaped Hand—got people talking.

“It’s a short story about loss. I read it, and in my opinion, it’s quite beautiful.” – Evan Connell, SOLVD Consulting Manager

This shows AI is learning more than just math or coding—it can also write in ways that feel human.

We also saw big news from China’s Baidu, which released a model called Ernie X1. It performs well and costs much less than some U.S. models. That’s a big deal for companies looking to use AI without breaking the bank.

“The price keeps going down. That means businesses can do more with less.” – Evan Connell, SOLVD Consulting Manager

Building an AI Strategy: Where to Start

If you're thinking about using AI in your business, don’t just jump into tools. Start with a plan:

  1. Set clear goals. Know what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure success.
  2. Let your team explore. Give them tools and see where they find value.
  3. Go top-down. Once you see where AI helps most, start building tools or buying solutions.

Workflows vs. Agents: What’s the Difference?

Think of your business as a list of tasks. Some of these can be turned into automated workflows (like sending emails or updating records). But others need something smarter—this is where AI agents come in.

Agents can think, act, and even make decisions. For example, you can set up a customer service agent that handles simple requests, replies to emails, and knows when to pass the case to a human.

“Agents are simpler than most people think. It’s just AI, some context, and tools it can use.” – Evan Connell, SOLVD Consulting Manager

How Agents Work

An AI agent is made of three parts:

  • The brain: A large language model like GPT-4 that does the thinking.
  • Context: Information about the task, the customer, or the tools available.
  • Tools: Actions the agent can take, like sending an email or searching a knowledge base.

Let’s say a customer emails your company with a problem. The agent can:

  1. Check who the customer is and what they’ve bought.
  2. Look up the issue in your knowledge base.
  3. Send a helpful reply.
  4. If the problem isn’t solved, pass it to a human

This saves time, keeps your customers happy, and lets your team focus on bigger problems.

Platforms That Make It Easier

You don’t need to build everything from scratch. Tools like n8n or Salesforce’s Agentforce let you set up agents without writing a lot of code.

With n8n, you can drag and drop actions and build workflows visually. With Agentforce, you can create agents directly in Salesforce and give them access to your customer data and support systems.

Keep It Simple

When building AI agents, here are some tips:

  • Start small. Don’t try to do everything at once.
  • Make sure the agent explains its steps. This builds trust and makes it easier to fix things.
  • Test your tools. Make sure everything works well before letting customers use it.

Final Thoughts

AI agents are here, and they’re ready to help. Whether you want to improve customer support, automate internal tasks, or just save your team time, there’s no better time to start.

Ready to Build Smarter Agents?

SOLVD.cloud helps companies like yours bring AI into their business the right way. We offer expert workshops, custom roadmaps, and hands-on support.

👉 Book a free consultation with our team

Let’s talk about how AI agents can help your business grow.