Deploying AI Agents Is Just Integration, Not a Major Project

• AI Agents aren't apps—they're capabilities we already have, waiting to be connected.

• The "buy vs build" question is a distraction—vendors push it to sell add-ons.

• All we need is lightweight integration work to link existing systems with existing AI tools.

What Are AI Agents?

AI Agents—sometimes called the digital workforce—are similar to personal AI tools like copilots, with one crucial distinction: they’re directly connected to our systems and can take action on our behalf.

The Common Question: Build or Buy?

A common question is whether we should build or buy our AI Agents.

It’s understandable—we’re used to approaching applications this way. Build or buy is the standard choice when we think about new capabilities.

But with AI Agents, that framing leads us in the wrong direction.

The Real Answer: Neither

The real answer isn’t “build” or “buy.” It’s “connect.”

We don’t need to build bespoke agents or purchase new AI add-ons. We already have what we need—our existing systems and the pay-as-you-go AI tools from our current vendors.

The confusion comes from application vendors trying to package AI as a product. But AI isn’t a product. It’s a capability—like the cloud. We wouldn’t ask, “Should we build or buy the cloud?” We simply work out how best to use it and connect it.

We Already Have What We Need

This same thinking applies to AI Agents embedded in systems. The two essentials are already in place:

• Our existing systems, where the agent will act or add information

• The “systems” version of personal AI assistants, available from the same vendors we already use

How to Make It Work

What’s needed is a connection between the two.

This is classic systems integration—using pre-built APIs (application programming interfaces) that allow software systems to talk to each other.

These integrations are small, targeted pieces of technical work, aligned to our specific mix of processes and systems.

A Better Cost/Benefit Model

So let’s avoid the “build vs buy” trap—it’s a distraction.

Instead, we can focus a small technical team on linking our AI copilot to the systems where it can add value.

The upfront investment is minimal, and the return is disproportionately high—far better than the economics of most traditional application projects.

When you're ready, here's how I can help:

Andrew Walker 
10 years AI strategy & implementation for executives in staff-heavy organisations, often with mobile workforces.

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