Big tech is expected to spend nearly $500 billion on AI infrastructure by 2026, up from $100 billion annually before ChatGPT arrived on the scene. Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon, and Nvidia are all making big bets. Meanwhile, over 50 large SaaS and security companies are rolling out AI agents and related capabilities. There's a lot of noise and excitement, but here's what's missing from most of the conversation: How do you actually make this work in your organization?
Anyone who has been a member of my staff will tell you that to get along with me you only need to adhere to my golden rules. These are very simple, straightforward and quite reasonable. Nothing too complicated to remember or follow, and they have served me well for many years. Now it turns out they work beautifully for managing adoption of AI agents too.
First golden rule: When something, anything goes wrong I always want to be the first to know. Phone me, text me, send a telegram or message on a carrier pigeon. There is nothing worse for me than to hear about a systems related issue from someone outside of my department.
Deploy AI agents with transparent monitoring. Know what they're doing, what data they're touching, and what decisions they're making. My focus is always on understanding what happened, fixing it, and then devising a means of ensuring it can never happen again. The only fatal mistake you can make is trying to hide a problem from me or in this case, not knowing there's a problem until it's too late.
The second golden rule: Stay on task but see the big picture. There is an old expression that goes you can't see the forest for the trees. I remember the time I waited patiently behind a waitress who was diligently refilling the large coffee urn in the lobby of a hotel where I was staying. She was so focused on her task that she couldn't see I was standing right there with an empty cup badly in need of a refill.
So, whatever we are doing, no matter how "critical" we think it may be, we should always be certain it will not somehow adversely affect the operations of the company. Executives need to evaluate how AI enhances their products or service. It is good practice to lift your head and take in the big picture from time to time. It will also keep you from walking into a telephone pole.
The third golden rule: Your opinion matters. It struck me that I embrace the concept that the entire department is a team working together towards common goals. No one works for me. Everyone works with me. So too, agents are a part of the team and not totally independent. This is perhaps the most critical rule when it comes to AI agents. The agent shouldn't make you a lemming following it over the cliff. Encourage your teams to question AI recommendations with sound, fact-based arguments.
So how should you drive adoption? Stop thinking about "enticing" employees and start thinking about solving real problems. If your AI agent needs a 40-page manual, you've already lost. Remember when I tried Spotify? No training required. Performance was flawless. That's your bar. Make the agent intuitive enough that people discover value organically.
And whatever you do, don't form a task force or alliance that creates PowerPoints nobody reads. Create real cross-functional partnerships where IT provides the infrastructure and guardrails, HR ensures alignment with workflow realities, business units define actual problems worth solving, and everyone has permission to say, "this agent isn't working."
As I learned in my time playing Shark Tank with investments, we had to separate high potential candidates from glitzy flash in the pan ideas. The same principle applies here. Focus on AI agents that solve real problems, not the ones with the best demo.
The golden rules have served me well for many years. They've helped me manage complex technical environments, build effective teams, and deliver results for the business. Now they can help us navigate this new world of AI agents. Perhaps they can help you too.
Captain Joe
Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC
