NEC Launches First All-AI Department With 17 Autonomous Agents

The Japanese technology corporation NEC has launched an unusual experiment in business automation. Since August 1, the company has been operating an internal unit consisting entirely of 17 autonomous AI agents capable of independently distributing tasks, interacting with each other, and creating specialized digital employees.

A New AI Department

Launched on August 1, the unit consists of 17 autonomous digital employees. Various roles are distributed among them, ranging from basic performers to a department manager. The system’s main feature is its ability to self-organize: agents independently delegate tasks, interact with each other, and create new, highly specialized agents when necessary to fulfill specific requests from human-operated departments.

AI Agent Tasks

Currently, the digital employees’ functionality is focused on the following tasks:

• Preparing analytical materials on company activities for top management.
• Deep analysis of customer data to develop future sales strategies.
• Identifying potential internal company issues and searching for promising business development directions.

Management Principles

The decision-making system is structured hierarchically: digital managers oversee the work of subordinate agents, analyzing the quality of their decisions and resource efficiency. This architecture helps minimize the probability of errors. To ensure process reliability, all internal agent discussions are logged, and final results are subject to mandatory human review.

NEC’s experiment demonstrates the transition of AI agents from individual automation tools to full-fledged corporate structures. The company does not plan to replace human staff with them: digital agents are intended to handle analytical and support work, while humans will oversee the results and gradually adapt their professional roles to the new model of interaction with AI.