The evolution of artificial intelligence is accelerating, with agentic AI emerging as a significant force in business operations. At Dell Technologies World 2026, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell discussed how these advanced AI systems are reshaping enterprises. The key takeaway? The technology has matured to a point where it can deliver real benefits across various sectors.
During his keynote address, Huang reflected on a moment from two years prior when the emphasis was primarily on generative AI, a technology capable of producing content. "Generative AI can, of course, generate content, but remember it can also generate content to think with – generate thoughts," Huang noted. This shift has led to the development of reasoning and planning capabilities, giving rise to agentic systems. Huang emphasized, "So now we have, we now have – for the very first time – useful AI."
The practical implications of agentic AI are significant. Huang explained how these systems are drastically reducing the time needed for tasks like software programming, shortening project timelines from a month to a week. He stated, "Because it’s so useful, the number of people using agents is now all over the place. Every enterprise – my company, [Dell Technologies] – everybody’s using agents all over the place to do software development, DevOps, SRE, all of our CI/CD work, QA, testing. The amount of software work that we do in the company now supported by agents is incredible."
The Road Ahead for Agentic AI
Despite the excitement surrounding agentic AI, industry experts caution against its widespread adoption. Steven Dickens, CEO and principal analyst at HyperFRAME Research, shared insights on the current stage of technology uptake. He acknowledged the greater value offered by agentic AI compared to its generative predecessor, asserting, "The agentic AI value is a lot higher because AI is now not merely writing; it is doing."
Dickens also noted that this technology is still in its early stages and primarily attracts early adopters. "We are still very early into this phase of adoption. The usefulness of agents is still relatively nascent," he said. As tools like Amazon Quick, Perplexity Computer, and Claude CoWork gain popularity, he anticipates a change in how agentic AI is perceived, expanding its usefulness beyond personal productivity into areas like AIOps.
Cost Challenges and Future Prospects
One major obstacle to broader adoption of agentic AI is its resource-intensive nature. For Dell Technologies, the strategy involves moving AI operations from the public cloud to on-premises solutions to reduce the rising costs associated with high token usage. A recent case highlighted the financial strain when a Dell developer faced a $3,400 token bill in just 24 hours.
Michael Dell expressed optimism about the future of agentic AI, suggesting that the technology has yet to realize its full potential. He remarked, "The real agent takeoff hasn’t really even happened in broad scale across millions of companies. I think it’s still pretty early in all this and … the models, they’re great! But they’re the worst they will ever be, and they’re going to keep improving. There doesn’t seem to be an asymptote in the capabilities."
As the industry continues to explore the possibilities of agentic AI, its implications for business processes are becoming clearer. The technology not only boosts efficiency but also reshapes how companies approach problem-solving and operational strategies. As adoption increases and models advance, the full impact of agentic AI could transform the business landscape in ways that are currently unimaginable.
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