| When you hear agentic AI and AI agents used as synonyms for each other, red flags should go up, especially if it’s coming from a someone with a head full of hard-sell steam. You might not be getting hoodwinked outright, of course, but you could be putting yourself in the wrong hands attached to a benign yet flimsy knowledge base. After all, someone misspeaking without any ulterior motive or bad intention is understandable since it’s a common misunderstanding to conflate the two technologies. But when IT budgets and business integrity are on the line, it’s essential to know how they differ objectively and semantically.
Not to say there isn’t any overlap, though. In today’s top story, Grant Gross builds a consensus from IT leaders, experts, and AI practitioners about clearly defining agentic AI and AI agents. There are a lot of metaphors involved, so be warned, but I’ll give you a hint on what it boils down to: one is a means to compose the other. It’s a lesson in language and vigilance, but wrapped in a question of trust. Intrigued? We certainly hope so.
| | Carl Friedmann, Executive Regional Editor, CIO |
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