Getting Started with AWS's New Agentic AI Capabilities: A Guide to Amazon Quick and Amazon Connect

Overview

The What’s Next with AWS event in 2026 unveiled a new era of agentic AI, with Amazon Quick and Amazon Connect leading the charge. Amazon Quick is an AI assistant that integrates with your existing tools, learns your preferences, and performs actions on your behalf. Amazon Connect expands into four specialized AI solutions for supply chain, talent, customer experience, and healthcare. This guide walks you through setting up and using these services, from the Quick desktop app to configuring Connect’s agentic workflows. No AWS account is required for Quick, but some Connect solutions may need one.

Getting Started with AWS's New Agentic AI Capabilities: A Guide to Amazon Quick and Amazon Connect — Source: aws.amazon.com

Prerequisites

For Amazon Quick: A personal email address or a Google, Apple, GitHub, or Amazon account. No AWS account needed.
For Amazon Connect: An AWS account (free tier available). Familiarity with AWS console.
For both: A modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) for initial setup. Quick also has a desktop app (Windows/macOS).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Setting Up Amazon Quick

Download the Desktop App (Preview): Visit the Amazon Quick download page, choose your OS, and install. The app connects to local files, calendar, and communications without a browser.
Sign Up for a Plan: Open Quick, select Free or Plus pricing. Use your personal email or existing credentials (Google, Apple, GitHub, Amazon). No AWS account required. You’ll be activated within minutes.
Generate Visual Assets: In the chat interface, type a request like “Create a presentation on quarterly sales” or “Design an infographic for team goals.” Quick outputs polished documents, slides, and images directly—no design skills needed.
Connect to Apps: Go to Settings > Integrations and enable native connectors for Google Workspace, Zoom, Airtable, Dropbox, and Microsoft Teams. Quick will fetch data from these apps to personalize responses.
Build Custom Apps (Preview): Use natural language to instruct Quick to create intelligent dashboards, web pages, or apps. Example: “Build a project tracker that pulls from my calendar and Dropbox.” Quick generates a functional app connected to your data sources.

Configuring Amazon Connect Solutions

Amazon Connect now offers four agentic AI solutions. Access them from the AWS Console under “Amazon Connect.”

Amazon Connect Decisions (Supply Chain)

Navigate to Connect Decisions in the console.
Input your supply chain data (e.g., inventory, logistics, demand forecasts). The system integrates 30 years of Amazon operational science.
Enable AI teammates to automate crisis management—they learn from your team and improve over time.
Use dashboards for proactive planning instead of reactive decisions.

Amazon Connect Talent (Preview)

Go to Connect Talent and define your hiring criteria (roles, skills, volume).
Configure AI-led interviews: set question banks, scoring rubrics, and assessment types.
Launch a pilot hiring process. The system reduces human preconceptions and speeds up candidate screening.
Review evaluation reports generated automatically.

Amazon Connect Customer (Previously Amazon Connect)

In the Customer module, set up your contact center flows (voice, chat, digital).
Use the new configuration capabilities to add conversational AI without coding. Follow the guided wizard to design responses.
Test with a few sample queries to ensure personalization.

Amazon Connect Health (Healthcare)

Access the Health solution from your console (requires healthcare compliance settings).
Connect to existing EHR systems or patient databases.
Configure AI agents for patient triage, appointment scheduling, or information retrieval.
Monitor performance via the built-in analytics dashboard.

Common Mistakes

Assuming Quick requires an AWS account: Quick Free and Plus plans work with personal accounts—no AWS billing or services needed.
Overlooking app permissions: When connecting Quick to apps like Zoom or Google Workspace, grant proper permissions for data access. Denying them limits functionality.
Relying on Quick for sensitive data: While Quick is secure, avoid sharing highly confidential information in the Free plan. Upgrade to Plus for enhanced controls.
Neglecting Connect Decisions training: The AI teammates need time to learn your supply chain patterns. Provide historical data and feedback for optimal performance.
Setting up Connect Talent without legal review: AI-led interviews must comply with local hiring laws. Review assessment bias and data retention policies.

Summary

Amazon Quick and the expanded Amazon Connect suite bring agentic AI to everyday work and specialized domains. With Quick’s desktop app, visual generation, and integrations, anyone can become more productive. Connect’s four solutions (Decisions, Talent, Customer, Health) transform supply chain, hiring, customer service, and healthcare operations. Start by setting up Quick using personal credentials, then explore Connect’s agentic workflows via your AWS console.

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