Businesses are rapidly adopting AI agents to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and improve efficiency. But most are still using these agents within processes designed for human interactions rather than structuring their operations to be represented by AI agents.
The real shift happening now is B-to-A-to-B, where businesses use AI agents as the primary interface for interacting with other businesses. Instead of treating AI agents as tools that assist within human-centric workflows, companies should be designing their processes to be exposed through AI agents. This simplifies interactions, allowing AI agents to seamlessly communicate a company’s products, services, and policies to other businesses in a way that is faster, more efficient, and more adaptive than traditional workflows.
Consider a business looking to purchase insurance for its employees. Traditionally, this involves researching providers, contacting brokers, requesting quotes, and going through a lengthy back-and-forth process to compare coverage options. Many insurers now use AI to assist their sales teams, but the process is still built around human negotiation and manual approvals.
In a B-to-A-to-B model, the insurance provider’s AI agent would be designed to represent its policies, pricing, and coverage options in real time. Instead of waiting for a broker’s response or manually submitting paperwork, the HR manager at the purchasing business could interact directly with the insurer’s AI agent. They could specify coverage needs, adjust deductibles, and compare plans instantly. If the insurer’s AI agent is integrated with underwriting systems, it could provide pre-approved rates based on risk models, removing the need for additional review. The entire process, from exploring options to refining details and finalizing quotes, could happen in minutes rather than days, dramatically reducing delays and inefficiencies.
AI agents allow companies to expose their services in a structured, accessible way, making interactions more transparent and dynamic. Insurance providers that restructure their processes around AI agents will not only be easier to do business with but will also gain a competitive edge by delivering faster, more accurate, and more customized solutions.
Eventually we will see B-to-A-to-A-to-B, where AI agents on both sides handle negotiations with minimal human oversight. But for now, the real transformation is making B-to-A-to-B work effectively. Businesses that rethink their operations to be agent-centric rather than process-centric will be in the best position to leverage AI for real competitive advantage.
