Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi said agentic AI could disrupt the internet in a manner similar to how AI-generated code transformed the software industry [1].
This shift represents a potential pivot in how users and businesses interact with the web. If AI agents begin to navigate the internet independently to complete tasks, the traditional model of search-and-click browsing could be rendered obsolete.
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, the UBS Chief Investment Officer for Global Equities said the emerging capabilities of agentic AI [1]. Unlike standard generative AI, which produces text or images based on prompts, agentic AI is designed to execute multi-step workflows and make autonomous decisions to achieve a specific goal.
Hoffmann-Burchardi said that the software industry has already experienced a fundamental shift due to AI coding tools [1]. These tools automated large portions of the development process, changing the economic value of manual coding. She said that the internet ecosystem may face a similar structural upheaval as agents begin to handle data retrieval, and transaction execution, without human intervention.
The discussion aimed to provide investors with a framework for understanding the market impact of these technologies [1]. As agentic systems evolve, the reliance on traditional web interfaces and advertising-driven traffic may decrease, potentially shifting the value chain toward the providers of the AI agents themselves.
UBS continues to monitor these trends to determine how the integration of autonomous agents will affect equity valuations across the technology sector [1].
“Agentic AI could disrupt the internet the way AI coding disrupted software”
The transition toward agentic AI suggests a move from 'information retrieval' to 'task completion.' If AI agents become the primary way users interact with the web, the current internet economy—which relies heavily on human attention and ad clicks—could collapse, forcing a total redesign of digital business models and monetization strategies.
