CHATBOT ON STEROIDS

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From Self, Service to Conversation: How Agent AI Is Redefining the Customer Experience at Essent

“For humankind, change is always a struggle,” says Hein Dekkers, Enterprise Architect at Essent. “And now it’s not an evolution, but a revolution. If you don’t see it, you don’t get it.”

In this episode of Front Row at the Backend, host Jan Pieter (JP) sits down with Hein to discuss Agent AI, a powerful new technology that could transform how Essent interacts with its customers and how its teams build software.

More about Architecture? Listen/ read episode 10 with Toon Wijnands and episode 11 with Sami!

From Chatbots to “Chatbots on Steroids”

Most people have had mixed experiences with chatbots. As Hein puts it:
“My experience is almost crappy, because they don’t actually understand what your intent is. We predefined the storyline, and if the customer deviates from it, the bot doesn’t know what to do.”

That’s where Agent AI comes in. Unlike traditional bots, it processes natural language in many forms, text, voice, even images, and connects to different data sources to understand the intent behind what you say. It doesn’t just respond, it acts.

“It’s a chatbot on steroids with GPT capabilities,” Hein explains.
“It can understand the context, remember previous conversations, and even take actions, for instance, if you ask for a new invoice, it can send it to you right away.”

Bringing the Human Touch Back

To Hein, Agent AI is about more than technology, it’s about reconnecting.
“In the old days, when I walked into a shop, they’d say, ‘Hi Hein, how’s your wife?’ They recognized me. With self-service, we lost that interaction. With Agent AI, we’re bringing it back.”

By combining memory and data, Essent aims to create personalized, conversational experiences. Imagine asking about a heat pump and hearing back: “We see you don’t have insulation yet, maybe start there, and by the way, we have an offer for that.” It’s service that listens and adapts.

Inside the Architecture: From Vision to Practice

As Enterprise Architect, Hein’s role is to inspire and experiment.
“We’re still in the early stages,” he says. “I try to inspire our IT and business teams to rethink processes and look at decisions with a new perspective.”

He’s pushing for proof-of-concepts (PoCs) that test how Agent AI interacts with data and existing systems, identifying gaps in structure, quality, and availability.

But as he notes, new technology brings new questions, especially around privacy and consent:
“We already have consent for a lot of customer data, but for new capabilities, we’ll need additional permissions. The good thing is, once customers see real value, they’ll be more willing to give that consent.”

The Developer’s Role: Empowerment, Not Replacement

One common question Hein gets: “Will Agent AI replace my job?”

His answer is honest and optimistic:
“Yes, it will replace parts of your job, my job, your job, everybody’s job. But that’s not a bad thing. We’re going to create more jobs, and the work will become more creative.”

Hein believes Agent AI can help developers move faster and focus on higher level problem solving:
“Eighty percent of the nitty-gritty work can be automated. That means developers can think about initiatives instead of just coding, improving how we deliver value.”

In software development, Hein has already seen the potential.
“I built a travel agency app in one evening, no coding knowledge, just natural language and prompts. The speed of delivery is unbelievable.”

This, he says, could change everything for IT organizations:
“We always ask for the sky, but the IT department was built to build a house. With Agent AI, we can finally scale up, five to ten times more than we do today.”

A Revolution in the Making

Agent AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a catalyst. Hein sees it as a turning point for Essent and beyond.
“We have to rethink how we work, how we organize teams, and how we architect in IT. It’s not an evolution, it’s a revolution.”

As for what’s next, he’s confident:
“Within one year, everybody will see it and understand. Then everybody will want to have that experience, and they’ll need to be there.”

Final Thoughts

Agent AI represents a major shift, from static, self-service interactions to fluid, intelligent conversations. For Essent, it’s a chance to reconnect with customers and empower developers, all while preparing for a more agile, data driven future.

As Hein puts it best:
“We’re not losing jobs, we’re gaining purpose.”