This week saw major advances in AI agent technology from startups worldwide. In the U.S., Genspark launched its "Super Agent" platform combining 8 language models and 80 tools to handle tasks like hotel bookings through phone calls. Microsoft kicked off its AI Agents Hackathon 2025 with sessions teaching developers to build smart assistants using their latest tools.

South Korea announced KRW 150 million grants (about $120,000) for AI startups working on specialized language models and factory robots. ServiceNow revealed its AI agents now solve 80% of customer cases without human help, saving 400,000 work hours yearly.

In Chicago, Visa tested AI shopping agents that negotiate discounts for users, while Logik.ai was bought by ServiceNow to boost its customer service bots. Orby AI made CB Insights’ Top 100 AI Startups list for its workflow automation technology used by big companies.

Startup events like Startup Grind 2025 highlighted how AI agents are moving from simple tools to systems that think like humans, helping with tasks from financial research to medical analysis. Experts say these "agentic AI" systems could change how businesses operate worldwide.