How RPA vendors aim to remain relevant in a world of AI agents

UiPath is already beginning to take steps in this direction with a new capability, Context Grounding, that entered preview earlier in the month. As Enslin explained it to me, Context Grounding is designed to improve the accuracy of generative AI models — both first- and third-party — by converting business data those models might draw on into an “optimized” format that’s easier to index and search. “Companies should start preparing for wide-scale adoption of autonomous agents today,” analysts at Boston Consulting Group wrote recently in a report — citing experts who estimate that autonomous agents will go mainstream in three to five years. For as little as $0.17 per photo, sellers can virtually stage listings in on-trend styles with photorealistic results, 2K resolution—even from low-quality input photos. According to a recent survey of 750 CFOs at major real estate firms, only 14% of real estate companies are actively using AI.

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify Imbue’s claims about its compute access.

And Google demoed a slew of agent-like products at its annual Cloud Next conference in early April. Tech executives are moving swiftly to embrace AI agents, according to the latest Technology Pulse Poll from accounting firm Ernst & Young (EY). “We believe agents should focus on selling, not photo editing,” said Xiao Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Collov AI, who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford. Such self-sufficiency could be helpful in a wide range of situations, from biology research to travel planning and complex coding projects, according to Albrecht. «Against an uncertain macroeconomic and trade environment, executives are still overwhelmingly positive on the business value that agentic AI can deliver,» said EY Global and Americas Technology Sector Leader James Brundage. Daniel Fallmann is founder and CEO of Mindbreeze, a leader in enterprise search, applied artificial intelligence and knowledge management.

Craig Le Clair, principal analyst at Forrester, sees RPA platforms as being ripe for expansion to support autonomous agents and generative AI as their use cases grow. In fact, he anticipates RPA platforms morphing into all-around toolsets for automation — toolsets that help deploy RPA in addition to related generative AI technologies. The poll, which surveyed more than 500 tech leaders in April, found about half (48%) of respondents have at least begun deploying agentic AI within their organizations. Slightly more (around 50%) said most of their companies’ internal AI operations will be fully autonomous within the next two years, further indicating a movement toward agentic systems. Despite the clear advantages AI agents bring, some organizations remain hesitant to adopt them.

Several dozen attendees, mostly entrepreneurs and engineers, flock to productivity software company Notion’s minimalistic Mission District office to hear Houston speak. The company did decent business for a time, reaching millions in sales, before growth slowed. When several attempts to jumpstart momentum failed, the founders and Threshold investor Josh Stein had a “mature conversation” about pivoting to another, potentially bigger idea. “There was nothing wrong with Sourceress per se, but it was clear it wasn’t going to be a breakout success,” said Stein. Put your brand in front of 10,000+ tech and VC leaders across all three days of Disrupt 2025. Amplify your reach, spark real connections, and lead the innovation charge.

The biggest misconception, though, is the fear that AI agents will replace human workers. By handling routine tasks, they allow employees to focus on strategic thinking, problem-solving and innovation. The key to successful adoption is to start small, identify the areas where AI agents can drive the most impact and scale their implementation gradually. Despite their deep Silicon Valley connections, several prolific investors in the category – all of whom asked to remain anonymous to speak freely – said they doubted the team’s credentials to operate a serious AI research lab. One, who knows Imbue’s founders, discounted such concerns as VC bias to collect “baseball cards,” or only back founders from the same several prestigious backgrounds. Still, they wondered whether Imbue’s ambition to release agents as commercial projects would differentiate it from other well-resourced labs over the long run.

The Enterprise Imperative: Why Businesses Can’t Afford To Ignore AI Agents

Future AI agents will develop deeper contextual understanding, allowing them to anticipate needs with unprecedented accuracy. They will enable hyperpersonalized experiences, delivering tailored insights and recommendations that cater to each individual user. Businesses will move from reactive decision making to predictive intelligence, staying ahead of challenges before they arise. The AI agent revolution is still in its early stages, but the trajectory is clear. As these intelligent systems continue to evolve, their capabilities will become even more powerful. Qiu and Albrecht are unperturbed by any concerns about their team’s research chops.

With traditional methods, agents are still coordinating furniture rentals, photography sessions, and back-and-forth revisions with outsourced teams. Last year, Automation Anywhere launched generative AI-powered tools to create workflows from natural language, summarize content, extract data from documents and — perhaps most significantly — adapt to changes in apps that would normally cause an RPA automation to fail. They’re well aware of the challenges — and believe that generative AI could solve many of them without hastening their platforms’ demise.

I understand these concerns about implementation complexity, data security and workforce disruption often stand in the way. However, I think these barriers are based more on perception rather than reality. As someone who has spent years pushing the boundaries of enterprise technology and the way businesses see their data, it’s clear that AI agents are not a passing fad.

• They are revolutionizing customer service, IT operations and knowledge management, improving both customer and employee experiences.
• Security and compliance have also been top priorities in AI development, meaning these tools come equipped with advanced privacy controls and regulatory safeguards to protect sensitive data.
• In RPA vendors’ minds, RPA and generative AI-powered agents can peacefully co-exist — and perhaps one day even grow to complement each other.
• It’s a pleasant August evening in San Francisco as Houston takes the mic to talk about all things AI with Qiu and Ali Rohde, who manages a small venture fund Imbue’s founders established to back other early-stage AI startups.
• A 2022 survey from Robocorp, an RPA vendor, finds that of the organizations that say they’ve adopted RPA, 69% experience broken automation workflows at least once a week — many of which take hours to fix.

In RPA vendors’ minds, RPA and generative AI-powered agents can peacefully co-exist — and perhaps one day even grow to complement each other. Meanwhile, businesses are looking for ways to implement AI into their workflows. This user-friendly product has helped many agents—especially those new to AI—build confidence and interest in integrating technology into their daily workflow. The simplicity of the one-click design has even inspired some buyer agents to snap photos of empty properties during showings and present AI-staged versions to clients on the spot. In a world where Zillow scrolling happens at lightning speed and 97% of buyers begin their journey online (National Association of Realtors’ 2021 Real Estate in a Digital Age report), the quality of listing visuals isn’t just a differentiator—it’s a dealmaker. The Silicon Valley startup is redefining the art of real estate marketing with cutting-edge AI.

“Context Grounding extracts information from company-specific datasets, like a knowledge base or internal policies and procedures, to create more accurate and insightful responses,” Enslin said. For example, an agent could create an itinerary by filling in a customer’s info on airlines’ and hotel chains’ websites. Or an agent could order the least expensive ride-hailing service to a location by automatically comparing prices across apps. «That said, despite the optimism they’re feeling, there’s still tremendous pressure for these technology leaders to demonstrate return on investment now through measurement and tangible top-line and bottom-line results.» Here, as EY’s new poll suggests, many of those companies believe they’ve found a solution in agents. Collov AI is also planning to launch new features to support listing prep—from generating social media posts and listing videos to one-click property websites—helping sellers market listings faster and more effectively.

However, the impact of AI agents isn’t just limited to back-office functions. They are revolutionizing customer service, IT operations and knowledge management, improving both customer and employee experiences. Whether it’s providing real-time assistance, automating workflows or delivering personalized recommendations, they are transforming the way organizations operate from the inside out. Our rapidly moving business landscape means efficiency and intelligent decision making are no longer optional—they are essential. AI agents enable businesses to streamline operations, unlocking new levels of productivity.

The Enterprise Imperative: Why Businesses Can’t Afford To Ignore AI Agents

Perhaps one of their most powerful advantages is their ability to integrate seamlessly into existing enterprise systems. Unlike many disruptive technologies that require expensive overhauls, AI agents work with what’s already in place, ensuring a smooth transition that maximizes their benefits without creating friction. Imbue’s lack of traditional investors on its cap table (Stein’s Threshold is the only one) has also raised questions. The founders say they deliberately didn’t take any formal meetings with venture capital firms for Imbue’s recent fund raises, in large part because they acknowledge their work could take years to develop proven commercial projects. “I think it’s actually beneficial to be a little bit of an outsider, to take a fresh look,” their investor, McCaleb, agreed.