AI Agents Start Talking, Retail Shelves Get Smarter, and Accents Get a Makeover—Here Comes the New AI Stack

PwC has launched a new platform called Agent OS, designed to facilitate communication between artificial intelligence agents within enterprises. This initiative comes after the company spent nineteen months developing and deploying AI agents for various clients, during which they observed that these agents often operate independently, like ships passing in the night. PwC aims to transform this dynamic by creating a collaborative environment for agents, allowing them to work together effectively. The platform integrates with major systems, including those from Anthropic, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, enabling companies to automate complex tasks. Once implemented, clients can deploy multi-agent solutions within just a couple of weeks. With over 250 internal agents developed, PwC emphasizes the importance of interoperability among AI agents to enhance their effectiveness and utility in the workplace.Intel announced three new initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence at the edge, targeting industries such as retail, manufacturing, and smart cities. The company introduced Intel Edge Systems, Edge AI Suites, and the Open Edge Platform to address the unique challenges posed by over 100,000 real-world edge implementations. These initiatives are designed to help organizations integrate AI into their existing infrastructure while achieving cost and performance goals. Dan Rodriguez, Intel’s corporate vice president, emphasized the importance of expanding AI use in low-power, cost-sensitive environments. Collaborating with partners like Cisco, Intel aims to facilitate the deployment of advanced AI applications to improve real-time analytics and data privacy. The new offerings include standardized blueprints for hardware integration, industry-specific software development kits, and a modular open-source platform for managing edge and AI applications efficiently.

I also noted two interesting language related products.   A new AI tool by Krisp, known for its noise cancellation and transcription services, can convert a speaker’s accent to American English in real time. The tool currently supports 17 Indian dialects and aims to help native English speakers better understand non-native speakers without altering their natural voice. Tested in call center enterprises, the AI was trained on thousands of speech samples and is compatible with popular meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

An off-Broadway theater in New York is using AI-powered live translations to enhance accessibility for non-English speaking audiences. The longest-running play in New York, Perfect Crime, allows attendees to scan a QR code for translations in over sixty languages, with around twenty-five to thirty users benefiting from this service during eight shows each week.  translation technology, developed by Silicon Valley startup Wordly, promises high accuracy and aims to expand its language offerings in the future.   Some theater professionals express concerns that AI may not capture the nuances of live performances.

Why do we care?

PwC launching a platform for inter-agent communication is noteworthy not just because of the technology, but because of what it admits: that many enterprise AI deployments today are isolated, one-off tools that don’t interact well. The metaphor of “ships passing in the night” underscores the current fragmentation across internal AI efforts.

AI agents lack standard protocols: PwC’s platform might help internally, but without cross-enterprise standards, agent interoperability risks staying vendor-specific. This could lead to ecosystem lock-in rather than broader interoperability.

risp’s real-time accent conversion tool and Wordly’s live theater translation system show AI tackling long-standing accessibility and communication challenges in new ways.  I believe there’s real value here.

The through-line here is infrastructure-level evolution. Whether it’s coordinating AI agents, scaling edge deployments, or enabling inclusive communication