The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has entered a new phase, moving past simple automation to autonomous, goal-driven systems. At the forefront of this shift is agentic AI, which defines a sophisticated system capable of planning, reasoning, and executing complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention.
Unlike traditional, static, rule-based systems that require constant human oversight and cannot adapt to unexpected data, agentic AI models operate dynamically. They learn, self-correct, and drive processes toward a defined outcome. This capability marks a significant advance in how sophisticated work, particularly high-stakes compliance and investigative work, is handled.
AI agent workflows are set to revolutionise due diligence and compliance by automating the entire investigative lifecycle, transforming fragmented and scattered data into definitive, actionable intelligence. Let’s explore how this new intelligence architecture is improving corporate governance.
How AI Agents Do Due Diligence
The traditional due diligence workflow is highly fragmented, requiring human analysts to manually orchestrate numerous steps over days or weeks. AI agents eliminate this fragmentation through an intelligent, autonomous architecture.
The AI agent becomes the investigator, orchestrating the entire process:
- Auto-planning and action: Given a high-level goal, such as “Perform a complete due diligence on vendor X,” the AI agent immediately breaks the objective into a detailed, multi-step plan. This involves determining the necessary steps: gathering data, matching entities across jurisdictions, checking relationships, synthesising findings, and compiling the final report. The agent then executes this plan autonomously across various data sources and systems, effectively completing a manual workflow in minutes.
- Real-time data integration: The agent also acts as a centralised data collector, instantly and automatically pulling and combining information from multiple official sources. This includes corporate records, sanctions watchlists, litigation databases, and adverse media archives, providing a single, comprehensive view essential for thorough background check procedures.
- Self-correction and adaptation: A key feature of AI agents is their ability to change course when they encounter unexpected roadblocks or new, critical data. For example, if the agent finds a new, suspicious company linked to the primary subject, the process doesn’t halt. Instead, it autonomously reasons, adapts its workflow, runs a sub-routine to trace that new link, gathers further evidence, and integrates the findings before escalating the full file for human review.
- Clear records for audits: To ensure regulatory transparency, the AI agent automatically logs every workflow decision, data source accessed, analytical step, and rationale used throughout the investigation. This built-in, immutable audit trail is a non-negotiable feature for any due diligence software, providing complete traceability and transparency for satisfying audits and regulatory scrutiny with minimal effort.
Handshakes’ Role in Empowering AI Agent Workflows
Handshakes isn’t just a data provider; we provide the foundational data, mapping capabilities technology, and intelligence tools required for effective, large-scale implementation of AI agent workflows in corporate risk management.
- Foundation of trusted data: Handshakes positions itself as the trusted data source for these advanced agent workflows. As a data analytics company in Singapore, we provide access to authoritative ASEAN corporate data, litigation records, and relationship data, which is essential for training and operating effective AI agent architecture workflows.
- Mapping as an agent’s tool: Handshakes’ unique mapping capabilities technology (used in the Handshakes APP) can be integrated into the AI agent’s workflow to build and analyse risky connections on a corporate network map. By translating complex, raw corporate data into a usable visual structure, the agent speeds up risk detection and investigations. This is critical for conflict check software processes.
- Reading unstructured data (SEER): Handshakes SEER acts as the agent’s advanced reading comprehension tool. This Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology enables the AI agent to process complex, unstructured documents, such as financial reports, prospectuses, and news articles, and instantly extract the necessary facts, sentiment, and context for the due diligence check.
- Secure data integration (FUSE): Handshakes FUSE serves as the secure bridge for AI agent workflows. It enables the agent to safely combine the company’s sensitive internal data with Handshakes’ extensive public data for a comprehensive, secure risk check — a vital feature for highly regulated industries.
The Future: Continuous and Predictive Risk Checks
This paradigm shift towards AI agent workflow is transforming risk mitigation from a static exercise into a dynamic, continuous process:
- Shifting to prediction: This new AI agent workflow automation enables advanced risk mitigation by focusing on prediction. By analysing evolving data patterns across a network, the AI can forecast potential threats and compliance vulnerabilities before they fully materialise, instead of just reacting to problems after they occur.
- Always-on compliance: AI agents can constantly monitor vendors and customers post-onboarding, performing vendor screening services in real-time. They automatically flag small but critical changes, such as new directorships, regulatory updates, or changes in financial health, enabling immediate intervention.
- Focus on high-value work: By automating the data-heavy, time-consuming work — the research, synthesis, and initial reporting — the AI agent frees human analysts to focus solely on complex exceptions, strategic judgment, and high-stakes decision-making, significantly boosting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the compliance team.
Staying Ahead With Next-generation Corporate Intelligence
The era of slow, manual due diligence is being replaced by the age of fast, automated, intelligence-driven by agentic AI. This transition requires more than just new software; it demands a trusted partner with authoritative data and integrated technology.
Handshakes remains committed to providing the essential data, mapping capabilities, and NLP tools required to power these future-forward AI agent workflows. Partnering with a leading corporate background check provider, such as Handshakes, is essential for staying competitive and compliant.
Explore Handshakes’ solutions today and integrate the power of autonomous intelligence into your compliance and risk strategies.
