Agentic AI: Why Brands Must Be Built for Machines, Not Just People

A recent article in The Register highlighted concerns from the British Airways CEO about a future shaped by artificial intelligence and automation. While the aviation sector is often at the sharp end of technological change, this warning should resonate far beyond airlines. It points to a structural shift that will affect how every organisation is discovered, chosen and trusted. 

The core issue is simple but profound: as agentic AI becomes embedded in everyday life, the primary ‘customer’ interacting with brands may no longer be human. AI agents will increasingly search, compare, book, switch, complain and optimise on behalf of people. In that world, brands are not just competing for attention; they are competing for selection by software. 

From a leadership perspective, the British Airways CEO is right to be concerned. If AI agents become the default interface between customers and brands, then a well-designed website and a strong SEO strategy are no longer sufficient. Conversational marketing, real-time customer engagement and experience are not future concepts; they are operational requirements today. 

At Mediaworks, we see this as the real pivot in the next wave of AI adoption. Agentic AI represents a new distribution layer. To succeed within it, brands must be both machine-readable and machine trustable. That means clear, structured data; transparent policies; unambiguous pricing and offers; and outcomes that AI agents can confidently interpret, compare and explain to end users. 

This is not about replacing human-centred design but extending it. Products, services and journeys must make sense simultaneously to people and to machines. Organisations that fail to do this risk becoming invisible, not because they are inferior, but because an AI agent cannot easily understand or justify choosing them. 

What British Airways is signalling applies just as much to banks, utilities, housing providers and SMB platforms as it does to airlines. Any organisation whose future growth depends on being discovered, recommended or selected digitally needs to ask a difficult question now: can a machine clearly see what makes us better, safer or fairer, or are we about to be quietly removed from the digital shelf? 

Brett Jacobson, CEO, commented, “Preparation cannot wait. Agentic AI should be treated as a strategic priority, not a technical experiment. The winners in this next phase will be those who redesign their data models, customer journeys and commercial propositions with AI agents in mind, while maintaining trust, compliance and clarity for human customers.” 

If you want to understand how this shift will impact your organisation, your brand and your route to market, and to define the practical steps you should be taking now, contact us today to speak with a member of our team - info@mediaworks.co.uk