The Rise of Agentic AI

Last week, I shared the first of several posts on Agentic AI. In that post, I got into what Agentic AI is, some of the advantages this emerging technology brings, as well as some of the ethical challenges.

In this follow-up post, we take a deeper dive into the rise of this emerging technology and some of the predictions for 2025 and beyond.

Right now, I feel we’re at the Agentic AI birthday party, whacking at the pi?ata, hoping to break it open and for the candy and prizes to spill all around.

Careful what you wish for, right?

If you recall, in our definition last week, we explained how these agents are autonomous. Let’s focus on that word, autonomous, shall we?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, autonomous is an adjective, meaning:

1?? having the right or power of self-governance

2?? undertaken or carried on without outside control

3?? existing or capable of existing independently

4?? responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole

And in an article published by Harvard Business Review in December 2024, Enver Cetin , an AI expert at global Experience Engineering firm Ciklum, goes on to say, “You can define agentic AI with one word: proactiveness.” Cetin goes on to say, “It refers to AI systems and models that can act autonomously to achieve goals without the need for constant human guidance. The agentic AI system understands what the goal or vision of the user is and the context to the problem they are trying to solve.”

Let that sink in for a moment.

Are you starting to see the benefits and the potential use cases across every possible industry?

Financial Services The banking and finance sector has been at the forefront of AI adoption, utilizing AI-powered solutions for fraud detection, risk management, algorithmic trading, and customer service automation. A report by Financial News London indicates that AI is expected to boost banking sector profits by $170 billion over the next five years. Source: Financial News London

Manufacturing AI agents are increasingly being integrated into manufacturing processes to enhance efficiency and productivity. Projections suggest that the global AI agents market in manufacturing could reach $20.8 billion by 2028, indicating significant industry adoption and investment. Source: Odin AI

Healthcare The healthcare industry is rapidly adopting AI-driven technologies to improve patient care, streamline administrative processes, and enhance medical diagnosis and treatment. The agentic AI market in healthcare is expected to exhibit a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024 to 2032. Source: Research and Markets

Retail and E-commerce Retailers are leveraging AI agents to analyze user preferences, suggest products, and enhance customer experiences. The integration of AI agents in e-commerce platforms is contributing to the growth of the AI agents market. Source: Grand View Research

I guess from the above, the benefits of Agentic AI adoption is pretty clear. BUT what may be less clear are the challenges that we, as leaders, must take into consideration as we begin to leverage and implement agents into our workflows:

?? Guardrails: Agents, like humans, will make mistakes. How do we give these learners the time and space to understand real-world practices with safeguards that are progressively withdrawn as their experience grows?

?? Trust and Reliability: Remember that word we focused on earlier, autonomous? How do we ensure AI systems are capable of making ethical and accurate decisions?

?? Skill Transition: How do we overcome the #FUDFactor (#fear #uncertainty #doubt) and what training programs will we implement to upskill and reskill our employees in this brave new world?

?? Privacy Concerns: What controls will we implement to manage the ethical implications of employee and customer data usage?

So as we drive into the future with a less murky view ahead, we must recognize the significant opportunities that Agentic AI presents for innovation and growth BUT, as organizations, we also must navigate its integration with a balanced approach addressing ethical, practical, and social implications as that will be critical to ensuring a harmonious coexistence between human workers and AI agents.

If you'd like to learn more, here are some great resources:

?? Previous post in this series: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/suhabeidaszehl_icymi-chatgpt-starttheconversation-activity-7284202575678046208-te-H

?? Post on the #FUDFactor: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/suhabeidaszehl_fudfactor-fear-uncertainty-activity-7286463324773318656-RFIx

?? Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick

?? What Is Agentic AI, and How Will It Change Work? by Mark Purdy in Harvard Business Review , Dec 2024