Will You Be Standing Up an AI Agent This Year?

The AI era isn’t coming — it’s here. And over the past year, I’ve watched business owners dance somewhere between curiosity, hesitation, and outright overwhelm. The question I’m asking now is simple: will you stand up an AI agent in your business this year?

Because the truth is, the productivity gains and cost savings are no longer hypothetical. They’re real, measurable, and sitting right in front of us. We can’t ignore them.

With the right prompts, subscriptions, and secure access to your business information, AI can now produce high‑quality content at a pace we’ve never experienced. Social media posts, job ads, position descriptions, basic contracts — minutes. Capability statements, proposals, marketing collateral, reports — hours, not days.

And as someone who has spent decades in recruitment, HR, and business leadership, I’ve decided to stop watching from the sidelines. I’m stepping in.

Why I’m Doing This Now

I’m in the next horizon of life — beyond mid‑life and mid‑career — and I’m not interested in being left behind. I want to work smarter, not harder. I want to free myself from repetitive tasks so I can focus on the strategic, human‑centred work that actually moves the needle.

So I asked myself: What would it look like to stand up my own AI agents?

Purpose and Planning

The first step is clarity. What parts of your business are slowing you down? What tasks drain your energy? What do you avoid because it’s tedious, time‑consuming, or simply not your strength?

For me, the list was obvious:

• Digital Marketing Agent
• Administration & Report‑Writing Agent
• Proposal Writing Agent
• Capability Statement Agent

These are the areas where I lose time — and where AI can give it back.

The Time Investment

Let’s be honest: small and medium business owners are stretched. We’re wearing multiple hats, juggling competing priorities, and trying to keep pace with a world that’s accelerating.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If you keep doing things the same way, you will fall behind.

Waiting six months is too long. AI is moving way too fast.

My recommendation?

Dedicate one day a week for one month.
That’s it.

In that time, you could create:

• A full year’s marketing calendar
• All your social media content
• Templates for proposals, reports, and capability statements

• Automated workflows that save hours every week

You’ll still add your voice and respond to trends, but the heavy lifting will be done.

Dabble, Experiment, Ask

Standing up an AI agent doesn’t require a course, a consultant, or a certification. AI is your subject matter expert.

Last week, I trialled an AI‑powered Capability Statement Agent. I didn’t call an AI consultant. I simply asked:

“Help me develop a Capability Statement Agent.”

AI asked me:

• What role will the agent play?
• What tone should it use?
• What tasks will it perform?
• What rules should it follow?

I fed it our business plans, values, website content, proposals, and branding. I shared a capability statement structure I admired and asked it to replicate the format.

Piece by piece, we built it together.
AI assembled the content.
I refined it.

The result?
A professionally written capability statement — completed in hours.

And now I’m hooked.

The Productivity Game‑Changer

If productivity is one of the biggest challenges facing business, AI is the answer. When the basics are handled efficiently, you free yourself to focus on the high‑value work that actually grows your business.

My encouragement is simple:
Start the journey. You may be surprised by just how transformative it becomes.