CIO OPINION
Agentic AI represents far more than incremental progress. It signifies a profound shift in sales technology, business strategy and especially data utilization.
Can AI sales agents keep up with the right side of the law?
Byron Fernandez, Group CIO and EVP, TDCX, says agentic AI for sales must handle compliance as proactively and intelligently as humans – if not better.
Since its launch earlier last month, the general AI agent Manus has taken the internet by storm. Touted as the world’ s first general AI agent, Manus leverages multiple AI models alongside independently operating agents to execute a wide range of tasks autonomously. In other words, it embodies the latest buzzword in my world: agentic AI.
In sales, the ability for AI to go beyond automating tasks such as lead scoring, customer outreach, data entry and quote generation to negotiating deals, pricing and terms independently is appealing. But can agentic AI make sound judgments and maintain jurisdiction without breaking rules?
The leap from assistive to agentic introduces significant accountability. Businesses must trust AI not just to persuade, but to navigate complexities traditionally handled by humans, who still need to be in the loop when negotiating or signing off high-stakes businessto-business( B2B) deals.
Going beyond persuasive conversations
Agentic AI won’ t just automate but will make decisions and trigger downstream actions. When that autonomy enters sales, a small misstep in disclosures, internal approvals, or contract terms can create legal exposure, damage trust, or lock the business into unintended obligations. The risks won’ t just be about what the AI agent says, but what it sets in motion and who will be accountable when it mishandles them.
To illustrate, in Anti-Money Laundering( AML) compliance, the inability to explain AI-driven
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