Over the last two years, many of us experimented with large language models. They impressed us, but they also exposed a gap: these models are passive. They can answer questions, but they don't make decisions or take action.
That's changing. The emergence of AI agents is transforming how companies use data and intelligence. And with Snowflake Cortex, we're seeing the first platform-level approach to make agents secure, scalable, and truly enterprise-ready.
At Viewnear, we see this as a pivotal moment.
What Makes Agents Different
AI agents aren't just chatbots with better memory. They can sense a problem, reason through data, plan a path forward, coordinate with systems or people, act on decisions, and then learn for next time.
This makes them more like digital coworkers than tools. They can handle multi-step workflows, freeing human teams to focus on strategy and creativity.
Why Data Agents Are Key
The most impactful category is data agents. Imagine combining a customer table, a contract PDF, and an image into a single analysis. That's what data agents can do: blend structured and unstructured data into reliable insights.
Snowflake highlights three qualities that matter most here: accuracy, efficiency, and governance. Without those, AI breaks trust. With them, AI starts driving ROI.
Snowflake's Recent Moves
Snowflake launched Cortex in 2024. Since then, the pace of innovation has been remarkable. In April 2025, they added multimodal support, so agents can process images as well as text. In June 2025, they released Cortex AISQL, which lets anyone query data with natural language.
These updates make AI less about technical skill and more about business outcomes.
Real-World Examples We're Watching
- Customer service teams resolving 14% more cases per hour.
- Sales cycles shortened as prospecting time drops by 90%.
- Finance teams automating forecasts by blending real-time data with market intelligence.
- Insurance firms using AI agents to review claims, make payout decisions, and draft personalized customer letters.
Why This Matters for Leaders
This isn't about another tool to test. It's about scaling AI responsibly across the business. Governance and security must be built in from day one, which is why Snowflake's approach is compelling. It gives leaders confidence to move from experiments to production without compromising trust.
My Perspective at Viewnear
At Viewnear, we work with companies that want to turn data into real decision intelligence. What I see now is the shift from "what's possible" to "what's scalable."
Early adopters of agentic AI will move faster, serve customers better, and outpace their competition. The gap between those who experiment and those who operationalize is only going to widen.
Closing Thought
LLMs opened the door, but AI agents will change how enterprises operate. Snowflake Cortex is helping make that change real, and for business leaders, now is the time to pay attention.
