Agentic AI: definition

Agentic AI refers to systems where a model plans and carries out a multi-step task on its own, deciding and acting in a loop, rather than producing a single response to a single prompt.

"Agentic" is the adjective for the shift from answering to doing. An agentic workflow might read an email, look something up, draft a reply, and file the result, checking its own work along the way.

It is powerful and easy to oversell. We treat agentic designs as something you earn once the simpler automation is solid, with tight tool permissions and clear stop conditions.

Related terms

AI agent: An AI agent is a system that uses a language model to decide which steps to take and which tools to call to finish a goal, instead of just answering a single prompt.
Workflow automation: Workflow automation is the practice of moving a repeatable business process from manual steps to a system that runs it end to end, with a person involved only where judgement is actually needed.
Human in the loop: Human in the loop is a design where an AI system does the work but a person reviews, approves, or handles the cases the system is unsure about, keeping judgement and accountability with a human.