A new wave of artificial intelligence is here, and it's not just about writing emails or creating images. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) projects this new 'agentic AI' will unlock a massive new market for technology services.
First, What Is Agentic AI?
Before diving into the numbers,
it’s crucial to understand what makes 'agentic AI' different. While generative AI like ChatGPT responds to prompts to create content, agentic AI takes it a step further. These are systems designed to be autonomous. They can understand a goal, break it down into steps, use various tools, and execute complex tasks with minimal human intervention. Think of it as moving from a smart assistant that can answer questions to an autonomous colleague that can manage entire workflows, such as optimising a supply chain, managing IT service tickets, or even executing financial trades. This ability to act, not just generate, is the key difference.
A $200 Billion Opportunity
According to a recent report from BCG, this shift towards autonomous systems is set to create a profound disruption and a major growth opportunity for the technology services industry. While some traditional services may see reduced demand due to AI-driven efficiencies, BCG's analysis projects that agentic AI will ultimately expand the market, unlocking up to $200 billion in net new value within the next five years. This growth is expected to come from new demand for services specifically designed to build, deploy, and run these new agentic solutions. The report, which surveyed executives from both companies buying and providing tech services, found that one-third of enterprises are already scaling up their use of agentic AI.
The New Face of Tech Services
This new market won't just be a continuation of today's IT services. The work will be fundamentally different. Instead of paying for hours and headcount, clients will increasingly pay for outcomes. The demand will be for specialists who can design, implement, and manage complex ecosystems of AI agents. This includes new roles and skills focused on data operations, modernising infrastructure to support AI, and creating the governance frameworks to ensure these autonomous systems operate safely and reliably. Tech services firms will need to shift from being providers of labour to becoming orchestrators of intelligent, automated platforms.
A Fundamental Shift for Businesses
The implications extend far beyond the tech sector. For enterprises, agentic AI offers the potential for significant productivity gains, cost savings, and the ability to automate processes that were previously too complex for traditional software. BCG's research indicates that nearly 45% of enterprises plan to increase their spending on AI, including agentic capabilities. However, the successful adoption of these systems requires more than just new technology. It demands clean data, well-defined processes, and an organisational culture ready for AI-driven transformation. The firms that treat agentic AI as a chance to completely redesign processes, rather than just assist with old ones, are poised to see the biggest benefits.
The Talent Is Already Here
Interestingly, another BCG report suggests that the biggest challenge for technology services firms may not be a shortage of new talent, but rather a failure to upskill and redeploy their existing workforce. The analysis found that roles like data scientist, DevOps engineer, and data engineer can be evolved into new 'Applied AI' roles needed for this agentic world. Firms that focus on retraining their current employees will have a significant advantage over those that only try to hire externally, where competition for talent is fierce. This makes internal talent strategy a critical component for any company looking to capture a piece of this emerging market.
