Today, the real question for businesses is no longer whether to use AI or not, but how to do it safely and with real impact on day-to-day operations.

Helping more organizations figure this out, we took part in a webinar hosted by Plataforma Capacitar, alongside entrepreneurs and SMEs from across the country. Invited by the Secretary for Small and Medium Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Knowledge Economy of Argentina’s Ministry of Economy, our founder Lara González addressed a common concern that often lacks a clear—or at least practical—answer: “What can an AI agent do for your business?".

Throughout the webinar, we shared a practical perspective on AI agents, process automation, and responsible technology adoption, with a clear focus: making better decisions, working faster, and maintaining control.

AI Agents: Beyond Automation, Designing Systems That Act

One of the first points we explored was a common misconception: not everything that automates is an AI agent.

An AI agent is not just a chatbot or a set of predefined rules. It is an integrated system capable of understanding context, interacting with business tools (CRMs, e-commerce platforms, WhatsApp, spreadsheets, internal systems), and executing actions with controlled autonomy.

This approach enables agents to:

• process information,

• make decisions within defined boundaries,

• and act directly on real business systems.

That’s the moment when AI stops being experimental and becomes truly operational.

Traditional Automation vs. AI Agents: A Key Difference for SMEs

During the webinar, we went deeper into a critical distinction for companies considering AI adoption:
traditional automation follows fixed rules, while AI agents interpret context and adapt.

This makes them especially valuable in real-world environments, where processes are not always identical—but are repetitive, high-volume, and heavily dependent on information flow. Exactly the kind of tasks that consume critical time in SMEs today.

From e-commerce price updates to lead qualification, content publishing, or managing commercial inquiries via WhatsApp, AI agents allow businesses to scale operations without disproportionately scaling their teams.

Human in the Loop: Why Human Oversight Still Matters

One of the central themes of the talk was the role of people.
Rather than replacing teams, AI agents perform best when designed with a human-in-the-loop approach: AI handles repetitive and structured tasks, while humans validate sensitive decisions, edge cases, and critical scenarios.

This balance not only improves outcomes, but also:

• reduces operational risk,

• strengthens internal trust,

• and supports compliance with security, governance, and responsible data use standards.
  
  

Security, Privacy, and Change Management: The Invisible Pillars of Success

One of the key takeaways from the webinar was that technology itself is not the biggest challenge—adoption is.

We discussed data security and shared a crucial insight for businesses: when AI agents are integrated via APIs and enterprise-grade environments, data is not exposed or used to train public models, which is essential for organizations handling sensitive information.

We also emphasized the importance of change management. Training teams, clearly communicating the purpose of AI, and redefining processes and roles are what distinguish pilot projects from implementations that truly transform operations.

Common AI Agent Myths That Still Block Decisions

In conversations with companies, the same misconceptions continue to surface:

• That more autonomy is always better.

• That strategy isn’t necessary.

• That AI is expensive, slow, or inaccessible.

• That it can solve any problem without limits.

The reality is different. The best results come from starting with a specific process, using clear criteria—repetition, volume, and value—and scaling from there.

Accessible AI Agents: Getting Started Is Easier Than You Think

One of the most important messages we shared at Plataforma Capacitar was that you don’t need to be a large company to get started.

Today, no-code and low-code tools allow teams to build functional AI agents in far less time and at much lower cost than expected—tools like Make, n8n, Zapier, and many others. What truly matters isn’t the tool itself, but system design and clarity around the process you want to optimize.

AI is no longer a technological privilege—it’s an accessible strategic advantage.

AI Applied to Real Businesses

The webinar wrapped up with questions, real cases, and practical examples: from agents that automatically publish products to marketplaces, to systems that audit processes, generate leads, or assist sales teams in real time.

The message was clear: AI doesn’t replace human judgment—it amplifies it. And when implemented with intention, it can free up time, reduce friction, and open new paths for growth.

These conversations confirm something we see every day at Lumen: the interest is already there. Through the exchange with attendees, we reaffirmed that with creativity and responsibility, it’s possible to design AI solutions tailored to virtually any business need.

Now, the real challenge is designing them well.