For starters, don't just hand over the keys to AI agents -- any endeavor needs to remain human-instigated and human-led. "Stop being the human in the loop. The human is the loop," said Scott Likens, global chief AI engineer at PwC.

Also: Building an agentic AI strategy that pays off - without risking business failure

Getting started means starting with the end user and working backward to determine the right tool for the job.

"Start with easily repeatable processes and data. Start with the pain point," said Lasherelle Morgan, senior vice president of AI innovation and acceleration for NBCUniversal. "Don't just bring in an AI tool. Ask, 'what are you struggling with?' 'What are you spending five hours of your day on?'"