AI Agents 2026

2026 is the year of AI Agents. Learn how agentic AI is transforming your workflows. Keynote by Remy Gieling, co-author of the book “AI Agents”.

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AI Agents 2026: How autonomous AI is transforming your organization

The difference between a tool and a teammate

ChatGPT answers questions. An AI agent solves problems.

That is the fundamental shift that will become mainstream in 2026. While traditional AI waits for you to ask, AI agents take independent initiative to achieve goals — they plan, reason, use tools, and learn from their actions.

As the author of the book AI Agents and co-founder of The Automation Group, I have helped dozens of organizations with the transition to agentic workflows in recent years. In this keynote, I'll share what works, what doesn't work, and how you can get started.

What exactly is an AI Agent?

An AI agent is a system that:

Observes — Collects information from the environment
Thinks — Plans, reasons and decides
Acts — Uses tools and controls systems
teaches — Improves based on feedback

The crucial difference with ChatGPT:

AspectChatGPTAi Agent InitiativeWaiting for your questionTakes independent actionScopeOne question answerComplete workflow toolsLimited (plugins) Full toolsetPersistenceForget after sessionMemorizes and learns

PwC: “2026 will be the year agents deliver”

After a year of hype and pilots, 2026 is the moment of truth. PwC's research shows three critical success factors:

1. The 80/20 rule for AI adoption

Technology only delivers 20% of the value. The other 80% comes from redesigning work. Organizations that deploy agents without redesigning workflows see minimal results.

What this means: Don't start with “where can we use AI?” but with “what would this process look like if we redesigned it today?”

2. Centralization via AI Studios

Successful organizations are building a central hub — an “AI Studio” — that brings together:

Reusable technical components
Use case assessment frameworks
Sandbox environments for testing
Deployment protocols
Trained people

3. Concrete metrics that matter

Forget vague KPIs like “AI adoption rate”. Measure what really matters:

P&L impact — What does it provide financially?
Operational differentiation — How does it differentiate you from competitors?
Workforce trust — Do employees trust agents?

The Agentic Enterprise: Three Levels

Level 1: Individual assistance (where we are now)

Every employee has AI tools. Productivity per person is rising. Processes remain the same.

Level 2: Automated Workflows (2026-2027)

Agents handle routine tasks. People supervise and escalate. Processes are being redesigned.

Level 3: Autonomous Operations (2028+)

Agents work together in teams. People focus on results. Organizational structures are fundamentally changing.

Cases from our practice

ANWB: Customer Service Agent

The ANWB uses AI agents for first-line customer service. The result: faster processing, higher customer satisfaction, and human employees who can focus on complex cases.

Dura Vermeer: Document intelligence

At Dura Vermeer, agents automatically analyze construction documents, specifications and contracts — work that used to take days is now done in minutes.

Wolters Kluwer: Legal research agent

Legal research that took lawyers hours is now being done by agents. The lawyer reviews and judges — the agent does the preliminary work.

Agentic Enterprise License Agreements (AELA)

A major trend: software vendors are introducing new licensing models for AI agents. Salesforce's AELA (Agentic Enterprise License Agreement) is the best-known example — all-you-can-eat pricing for agent use.

Why this matters: Consumption-based pricing was unpredictable. Enterprise licenses give CFOs the security they need to make large-scale investments.

The book: AI Agents

This keynote is based on the book AI Agents: How AI Is Changing Every Office Job — the practical guide for anyone who wants to understand what AI agents are, how they work, and how to deploy them.

The book covers:

The anatomy of an AI agent
Designing agentic workflows
The 80/20 rule for adoption
Cases from ANWB, Dura Vermeer and others
Governance and people-in-the-loop

Each keynote participant will have the option to receive the book.

FAQs

What's the difference between AI and AI Agents?
Traditional AI (such as ChatGPT) answers questions. AI agents take independent action to achieve goals — they plan, use tools, and learn from feedback.

When will AI Agents be ready for production?
Now. 2026 will be the year in which agents go from pilot to production. The technology is there — the challenge lies in workflow redesign and organizational change.

Are AI Agents Replacing Jobs?
Agents replace tasks, not jobs. The question is: what new tasks will be added? Successful organizations see productivity gains and new roles.

Interested in this keynote? Request a free quote.

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What to expect

Remy Gieling's lectures are always tailor-made, tailored to the specific needs of the client and the target group. Whether it's a boardroom, a room full of entrepreneurs or a team of professionals,

Remy takes into account the allocated speaking time and ensures a presentation that exactly meets the expectations and needs of the audience. His sessions are interactive, full of humor and full of current trends, insights and practical examples from leaders at home and abroad.

In addition, he shares handy and useful AI tools that allow participants to get started right away, so that the information is not only inspiring, but also tangible and applicable.
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With thousands of hours of experience in front of TV cameras, on the radio, in podcasts and on stages, Remy knows how to captivate every audience with a catchy and relevant story.

His background as a journalist and AI expert enables him to convey complex issues easily and in an engaging way, so that not only the participants themselves, but also their teams and organizations, get concrete value from his sessions. The many laudatory references confirm the impact and value of his lectures, in which inspiration and practical insights come together perfectly.

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Why Remy?

Remy makes complex technology accessible and inspires organizations to take advantage of opportunities with AI.

Forward-thinking

Remy closely follows the latest trends and developments in artificial intelligence on a daily basis. He meticulously translates these complex innovations into practical insights that allow organizations to get started right away. For example, 2025 will be entirely dedicated to Agentic AI: you will learn what this is and how to use it during the sessions.

Inspiring & Practical

From his background as a journalist, Remy talks to AI leaders from home and abroad every week to discover the latest insights and innovations. He shares their success cases and challenges with the audience, making his stories both inspiring and educational.

Hands-on experience

As co-founder of AI software company The Automation Group, Remy has in-depth knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of Generative AI and Agentic AI. The technical team uses these daily when integrating AI solutions with various such as Dura Vermeer and the ANWB. This knowledge and experience are essential for providing valuable advice and practical examples during lectures and workshops.

International

Remy regularly organises inspirational trips to innovative hubs such as Silicon Valley and China, where participants get to know groundbreaking technology companies. During his lectures, he shares insights from leading organizations such as Nvidia and OpenAI, so you know what's coming and how you'll benefit from it.

Inspiring & Practical

Remy Gieling's lectures are both inspiring and practical, showing what's happening in technology hubs such as America and China. He translates into business and provides concrete tools: what do you need to do tomorrow to be successful in a world driven by AI?

Interactive & humorous

Remy Gieling's lectures are solid and in-depth in terms of content, but are lighthearted and engaging because of the interaction and humor.

The latest insights

Remy Gieling's lectures are always up to date and include practical examples that show how AI is being applied in leading organizations. In addition, he shares useful tools and tips that allow the audience to get started on their own right away.

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