What is agentic AI?
Artificial intelligence that pursues a goal with limited supervision.
Also called: agentic systems, autonomous AI
Why agentic AI matters
Agentic AI systems share a few traits. They are goal-driven, they break a task into steps, they call tools and connected systems, they keep track of context, and they can pause for human review at set checkpoints. Together these let AI complete work, such as updating an order, where generative AI on its own could only describe what to do.
The term covers a range of designs. Anthropic distinguishes workflows, where AI and tools follow predefined paths, from agents, which decide their own steps and tool use. Many production systems combine the two, using fixed workflows where the process must be predictable and agents where flexibility helps.
Human oversight remains part of the design. Agentic systems are usually set up so that sensitive or irreversible actions, such as large refunds, go to a person for approval.
Example
A customer asks an online retailer to change the delivery address on an order. An agentic system checks the order in the order management system, confirms it has not shipped, updates the address and confirms the change to the customer. If the customer then asks for a refund outside the return window, the system passes the request to a person.
Agentic AI and DigitalGenius
DigitalGenius uses a hybrid approach that combines AI agents with approved workflows. It takes actions in the brand's systems, with guardrails and handover to the customer service team.
Read more
FAQ
Is agentic AI the same as generative AI?
No. Generative AI creates content, such as text or images, in response to a prompt. Agentic AI uses that capability to pursue a goal: it plans steps, uses tools and takes actions. Most agentic systems are built on generative AI models.
Is agentic AI fully autonomous?
Usually not. Most agentic systems work within limits set by people, and they pause for human approval before sensitive or high-stakes actions. The level of autonomy is a design choice for each task.
Is agentic AI the same as an AI agent?
The terms overlap. An AI agent is a single system that completes tasks on someone's behalf. Agentic AI is the broader approach, which can include one agent, several agents working together, or agents combined with fixed workflows.
· By Iain Moss