Sierra’s Bret Taylor Says the Era of Clicking Buttons is Over

Bret Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Sierra, a startup that builds customer service AI agents for enterprises, is convinced that the way humans interact with software will change in the near future. Last month, Sierra launched Ghostwriter, an agent designed to build other agents. With this “agent as a service” tool, the startup intends to replace traditional click-based web applications with natural language. Users simply describe what they need, prompting Ghostwriter to autonomously create and deploy a specialized agent to execute the task.

The Future of Automation

The idea of replacing software with language-driven prompts is intriguing in large part because many of the tools currently used in enterprises are not used regularly, contends Taylor, who was formerly co-CEO of Salesforce. He elaborated, “You sign into Workday when you onboard as a new employee, and maybe for open enrollment.” Instead of learning to navigate complex systems, he argued that users will soon use natural language to complete tasks without ever interacting with the software interface. “I truly think that’s where the world is going,” Taylor said.

Strategic Impact for Businesses

Sierra is already leveraging Ghostwriter to deploy agents at “unparalleled speeds.” Taylor offered an example showcasing the startup’s agility: implementing an agent for Nordstrom in just four weeks.

Automation in repetitively mundane tasks through natural language processing.
Reduces time spent on software training, only needing users to articulate their tasks.
Potential for significant scalability and integration with existing enterprise systems.

Last fall, Sierra announced that it had reached $100 million in annual revenue run rate (ARR) less than 21 months after its founding. The company was last valued at $10 billion when it raised a $350 million round led by Greenoaks Capital in September.

“Most companies don’t want to make software,” Taylor pointed out. “They want solutions to their problems.” While a fundamental shift in software may be coming as Taylor predicts, the current landscape depicted by several technologists and investors indicates that AI agent implementations are not entirely autonomous yet. Many companies claiming to offer AI agents, including Sierra and legal AI startup Harvey, employ “forward-deployed” engineers who must constantly update and fine-tune customer agents to ensure optimal performance.

Conclusion

The ongoing evolution towards a more intuitive, language-driven approach to software interactions signifies a transformative moment in AI and automation. As seen with Sierra’s Ghostwriter, businesses will have the capability to interact with technology in a manner that feels organic and user-friendly. This trend not only presents opportunities for efficiency but also redefines roles within organizations—shifting from traditional software development to a focus on AI-driven solutions.