Agentic AI represents a shift from AI that simply “thinks” or “creates” to AI that “acts.” While traditional AI (like a chatbot) responds to a specific prompt, Agentic AI is designed with agency—the capacity to reason, plan, and execute multi-step tasks autonomously to achieve a high-level goal.
Origin of “Agentic”
The term “agentic” is derived from the concept of agency in psychology and social sciences, referring to an individual’s power to take initiative and influence their own life. In technology, the name was popularized by AI pioneer Andrew Ng in early 2024. He proposed “agentic” as an adjective to describe a spectrum of autonomy, moving the conversation away from a binary “is it an agent or not?” to “how much agency does this system have?
Generative vs. Agentic AI
Traditional or generative AI is primarily reactive: it waits for a user prompt and then produces a response, typically handling single-turn tasks such as writing an email or generating content. Its interaction follows a mostly linear path from input to output, with limited continuation beyond the immediate request. Agentic AI, on the other hand, is goal-driven and proactive. Instead of merely responding, it can initiate actions on its own, break goals into steps, use tools, and coordinate workflows such as planning travel, booking tickets, updating calendars, and sending confirmations without repeated human prompts.
Real-World Examples of Agentic AI
- AutoGPT and BabyAGI: open-source agents that decompose a goal into tasks, execute them, and iterate.
- GitHub Copilot Workspace: turns a feature request into a plan, edits multiple files, runs tests, and proposes a pull request.
- Microsoft Copilot in enterprise workflows: can summarize emails, schedule meetings, draft responses, and update documents across apps toward an objective.
- OpenAI Operator: performs multi-step web tasks like form filling, browsing, and submissions on a user’s behalf.
In short, Agentic AI moves from answering questions to accomplishing objectives. It doesn’t just generate content; it orchestrates actions, marking a significant evolution in how humans collaborate with intelligent systems.
