Good morning. AI agents are poised to potentially deliver the AI productivity gains that companies seek.
However, we’re still in the early innings of the use of AI agents—autonomous systems that can reason, make decisions, and complete tasks using other software tools without constant human oversight.
“AI agents are here. How afraid should workers be of losing their jobs?” is a new article by Fortune’s AI editor, Jeremy Kahn. “These systems have a generative AI model at their core, but they can do more than the AI model can in isolation,” Kahn writes. A generative AI model may be able to suggest an itinerary for an upcoming vacation, he explains. However, an AI agent could perform that task as well, but then actually make the bookings and reservations for you.
Companies embraced robotic process automation, or RPA, over the past decade, which is software that can automate repetitive tasks. But traditional RPA systems are limited because they’re inflexible and can usually handle just one narrow task, he explains.
Although businesses are deciding to lean into the technology, they’re being cautious, partly because AI agents carry more risks than other AI products, according to Kahn. “But, if deployment ramps up rapidly, as many analysts expect, AI agents could radically transform how people work.”
However, as spending on AI agents soars, many workers fear they will kill jobs, he explains. You can read Kahn’s complete article including more about the U.S. market for AI agents, the most common use cases, and the impact on the workforce here.
CFOs also are exploring the use of AI agents. According to Deloitte’s “A CFO’s Guide to Tech Trends 2025,” agentic AI solutions hold promise to transform operations, including finance, with the use of digital workers. But the firm also notes that “new standards for risk and trust will be required.”
Snaplogic, a $1 billion tech startup, recently released a report on the adoption of AI agents at companies. Roughly 90% of its survey respondents are incorporating generative AI into their IT strategy. And 50% have already deployed AI agents, while another 32% plan to do so in the near future. The findings are based on a survey of 1,000 IT decision makers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia.
Respondents named the finance team as the non-technical team that would benefit the most from AI agents. They highlighted the impact agents have on reducing repetitive tasks, and on reporting activities like financial forecasting and reconciliation.
However, enterprises remain cautious. About 60% of respondents cite data security and privacy as the primary barrier to AI adoption. Another challenge is knowledge gaps and resistance to change—29% of respondents noted a lack of employee understanding of AI capabilities.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
Leaderboard
Fred Cromer, EVP and CFO of Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc., parent company of Spirit Airlines, LLC, (NYSE: SAVE), along with John Bendoraitis, EVP and COO, and Thomas Canfield, SVP and general counsel, are members of the Office of the President on an interim basis. Ted Christie, president and CEO, stepped down, effective April 7. The board of directors is in the process of appointing a permanent replacement.
Junichi Arai was appointed EVP and CFO of Recruit Holdings, the Japan-based global technology company and parent of Indeed and Glassdoor. Junichi was previously SVP of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations at Recruit Holdings and director of Recruit Co., Ltd. He has held several other leadership roles over his nearly nine-year tenure at the company. Before joining Recruit, Arai-san was the founding partner of Nakamura Arai Partners and held management positions at Morgan Stanley Securities (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities).
Big Deal
An S&P Global Market Intelligence data analysis finds that 34 U.S. bank deals worth a combined $1.61 billion were announced in the first quarter of 2025. This marks the highest first-quarter total by aggregate deal value since 2021. By comparison, first-quarter announced deals totaled $1.53 billion in 2022, $433.8 million in 2023, and $796.2 million in 2024.
In March, 15 of the quarter’s 34 deals were announced, with many deal announcements delayed for buyers and sellers waiting for transaction conditions to improve, according to the report.
Going deeper
“How to Fix Biases in Macroeconomic Forecasts” is a new article in Wharton’s business journal that highlights research on addressing biases rooted in subjective beliefs, such as those for inflation, bank interest rates, and mortgage rates. In a new paper titled “The Subjective Belief Factor,” the researchers identified two forecasts as the benchmarks to adjust for biases across all macroeconomic forecasts: the one-year rate for real GDP growth (adjusted for inflation) and the three-month Treasury bill.
Overheard
“I have a firm belief that the regularity of good work, at a good wage, is a foundation to a good life.”
—William Stockwell writes in a Fortune opinion piece. Stockwell recently retired as president and CEO of Stockwell Elastomerics after selling the 105-year-old company to his employees. Now he supports the engineering and production teams on a part-time basis.
