podcast

AI Agents and the Future of Software Engineering

In this episode of ClearPoint Unlock, Rob Cleghorn, CTO at ClearPoint, and Jonathan Ackerman, Principal AI Engineer at ClearPoint, explore how AI agents are transforming software engineering - from early “assistant” tools to fully autonomous digital colleagues. They discuss how these shifts are reshaping industries, the opportunities and risks for businesses, and the profound questions this wave of AI raises for society as a whole. With insights from Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index and examples like Klarna’s AI-led transformation, this conversation offers a glimpse into a future where productivity, workforce dynamics, and the very nature of work may be redefined.

They see particular opportunity for New Zealand to overcome scale limitations through AI, and stress that leadership must enable rather than block adoption. Looking ahead, they explore the implications of "Phase 4" where agents lead agents - a future that raises important questions about the speed of change and its societal impact. Their key insight: the AI capabilities we see today are the worst they'll ever be.

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Rob Cleghorn

Your trusted AI workforce

Transform your business operations with intelligent AI agents that deliver measurable ROI through function-specific automation. We provide a managed workforce of AI-powered agents that autonomously handle complex business processes—from procurement to customer service—delivering concentrated value where it matters most.

While 80% of companies use AI, most see no bottom-line impact because they've focused on generic productivity tools rather than transforming core business processes. Your AI Workforce from ClearPoint breaks through this "AI paradox" by deploying intelligent agents directly into your critical business functions - where repetitive, high-volume processes drain resources and create bottlenecks. Our AI agents understand context, make decisions, and handle exceptions autonomously. By focusing on vertical, function-specific automation, we deliver concentrated value that directly impacts your P&L, not just vague productivity gains.

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