The unsexy truth about where AI agents actually deliver ROI

Marketing teams are deploying AI agents for maximum visibility—ideation, creative, campaign execution—when the real money moves on boring, measurable tasks owned by single operators with clean data inputs. Sprinklr's simultaneous launch of six agents suggests the industry is still optimizing for board optics over business fundamentals. A survey showing 77% comfort with "human final say" on AI masks comfort with theater, not meaningful accountability. The friction point isn't agent capability—it's organizational discipline around boring metrics, which explains why most teams see no movement on cost to acquire despite the hype cycle.