AI in 60s: Manuel De Juan Director at NTT Data Reflects on the Future AI Agents

2026-02-11 · Source: LlamaIndex · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering, Emerging Technologies & Innovation · Depth: Novice, quick

Summary

Manuel De Juan, who manages Entity Data's global AI office alliances and partnerships, leads a team focused on building an ecosystem of partners to support a global AI strategy. He emphasizes that agentic AI is significantly reshaping processes across all industries and is here to stay. Entity Data is not immediately flooding the market with AI agents but is instead taking a strategic approach, investing in foundational platforms and frameworks to support future agent development for their clients. De Juan notes that agentic AI is a "game changer" for custom software development, fundamentally altering how software is developed, tested, delivered, and maintained.

Key takeaway

For Directors of AI/ML evaluating strategic technology investments, recognize that agentic AI is a fundamental shift, not a fleeting trend. Your teams should prioritize building robust foundational platforms and frameworks now to enable scalable, future-proof agent development, rather than rushing to deploy individual agents. This approach will ensure long-term competitive advantage in custom software development and process optimization.

Key insights

Agentic AI is profoundly reshaping industry processes and software development, necessitating strategic foundational investments.

Principles

• Agent AI is a market shakeup.
• Foundations precede agent deployment.

Method

Entity Data is investing in platforms and frameworks to support long-term AI agent development for clients, rather than immediate market saturation.

In practice

• Prioritize foundational AI infrastructure.
• Re-evaluate software development lifecycle.

Topics

• AI Agents
• Global AI Strategy
• Software Development
• AI Partnerships
• AI Platforms

Best for: Director of AI/ML, VP of Engineering/Data, AI Product Manager

Related on AIssential

• NVIDIA Chief Says AI is Boom Time For Software Firms — AI agents will amplify software firms, requiring software to be designed for agent consumption with clear interfaces.
• A rational conversation on where AI is actually going | Benedict Evans — AI is a transformative platform shift, akin to the internet's early days, with value shifting to application layers and distribution.
• Agentic AI: We have passed the inflection point — The AI landscape is shifting towards agentic AI amidst a critical data center shortage and rising compute costs.
• Full list of Israeli high-tech funding rounds in 2026 - CTech — AI agent platforms and robust cybersecurity solutions are attracting significant capital in Israel's early 2026 tech funding.
• AI Trends for 2026 — The AI landscape evolves rapidly, requiring continuous re-evaluation of predictions and a focus on emerging trends.
• The Fundamentals Didn’t Change. Your Strategy Should. — AI's transformative power stems from making existing principles economically viable at scale, not just its adoption.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by LlamaIndex.