Agentic AI drives productivity & innovation across Australia
As agentic artificial intelligence continues to advance, its tangible impact on Australia's business landscape is becoming increasingly evident, particularly within the software development ecosystem. Industry leaders and technology providers believe that the next generation of AI-powered agents could provide crucial support for Australia's flagging productivity and ongoing tech skills shortages, setting new standards for efficiency and innovation across sectors.
Sharryn Napier, Vice President for APAC at GitHub, described this transformation as "coding agents shifting from concept to reality, enabling developers and teams to solve problems faster and more intelligently". Napier explains that tools like GitHub Copilot have matured beyond simple code suggestions, now acting as an "an extra teammate" embedded within daily software development workflows. These agents offer suggestions, catch errors, draft pull requests, and can propose solutions to problems before they arise, she notes.
According to Napier, "The impact of this next phase in AI-powered coding is profound; it's a force multiplier for developers, allowing them to accelerate development cycles and allocate more time to high-value, creative and strategic tasks." This shift enables product releases to be expedited, allowing development teams to focus their attention on innovation rather than routine or repetitive tasks. Napier cited examples from major organisations, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, EY, and Carvana, which are already "capitalising on the impact of agentic AI, achieving productivity leaps and bounds".
AI-powered agents are not only altering the way software is written. They are also driving significant changes in broader business operations across diverse industries. Cloud technology provider Salesforce and its customers demonstrate how AI agents are being integrated into the operational backbone for various applications, ranging from customer verification to guest services.
At hipages Group, which connects homeowners with local tradespeople, AI agents have become instrumental. Jeremy Burton, CTO at hipages Group, highlighted that the company's use of Salesforce's Agentforce and Data Cloud has "cut lead response time by 60%" and improved satisfaction for both users and trades. He said, "Agentforce and Data Cloud are now a core part of our ecosystem, helping us connect better with our customers and tradies, navigating our data storage and access challenges, and ensuring our team members no longer need to 'swivel chair' from system to system to get the job done." Agentic AI manages tasks such as verifying tradie licences and business registrations in minutes, rather than hours, further driving productivity.
Urban Rest, a hospitality provider managing more than 800 properties across four countries, turned to AI agents for scalable guest services. Jeff Baars, Chief Commercial Officer, explained, "With no on-site staff across 800+ properties in four countries, our guest services team relies on Agentforce's centralised knowledge base to deliver seamless, round-the-clock assistance." Baars said the implementation of an autonomous agent enabled a "50% increase in productivity for the operations team, and up to 40% reduction in the number of field service visits anticipated." These agents handle basic guest enquiries conversationally and consistently with Urban Rest's branding, freeing staff to focus on complex issues requiring human judgment.
Kudosity, a customer support provider, introduced an AI agent named 'Emily' designed to interact with new users in natural, conversational language. Emily autonomously answers up to 40% of all general support queries, redirecting more complex requests to human staff. This has led to lower query handling times, allowing the support team to devote greater attention to personal service, which aligns with the company's focus on delivering exceptional customer care.
Advocates argue that these advances have arrived at a critical juncture. Napier points to a "decade-long decline in national productivity" and an enduring shortage of skilled technology workers in Australia. She said, "AI agents present a step-change in how Australia tackles these challenges; it presents an opportunity to amplify talent amidst a perpetual skills shortage." The consensus amongst early adopters is that businesses embracing the new wave of agentic AI will set higher benchmarks for industry performance and customer experience, shaping the competitive landscape for years to come.
