Where are AI agents actually creating value in lead generation?

For a while I assumed AI agents for lead generation were mostly about automating cold outreach. After digging into how companies are actually using them, I think that's only a small part of the picture. The biggest value seems to come from all the work that happens before and after someone replies. Things like researching accounts, enriching contact data, figuring out who the right person is, drafting an email based on what's publicly available about a company, replying quickly when someone fills out a form, following up consistently, and keeping the CRM updated. None of those tasks are particularly difficult, but they add up. I also came across a startup that reportedly used its own AI agent extensively during its Series A fundraising process to research investors, personalize outreach, coordinate follow-ups, and manage parts of the pipeline. That caught my attention because it's a very different use case from traditional sales prospecting. From what I've seen, AI isn't replacing the person selling. It's reducing the amount of repetitive work around selling, so people spend more time talking to qualified prospects instead of doing admin. Of course, it isn't hands-off either. If the data is poor or the workflow isn't designed well, the results fall apart pretty quickly. Someone still has to review what the agent is doing and make sure it's representing the business properly. I'm interested in hearing from people who've actually put this into production. Have AI agents changed the way your team handles lead generation, or are they still mostly a nice demo? And where have you seen the biggest payoff: prospect research, outreach, qualification, follow-ups, or somewhere else?