The Agentic AI Hoax - What You Need to Know

👋🏾 Hello, AI enthusiasts! 👋🏾

Agentic AI sounds like a game-changer, right? AI that doesn't just follow instructions but thinks, adapts, and makes decisions independently—like a trusted colleague who can handle complex tasks on its own. It's an exciting vision for the future of AI-driven decision-making.

But here's the thing: Not all that glitters is gold when it comes to agentic AI.

Many AI solutions marketed as "agentic" are really just automated workflows dressed up as independent thinkers.

Many AI solutions marketed as "agentic" are really just automated workflows dressed up as independent thinkers. In reality, these systems often follow predefined rules and scripts, lacking the true autonomy that would make them genuinely agentic.

The Reality Check: Is It Really Agentic AI?

A lot of what's being called agentic AI today is actually just fancy automation. These systems might seem smart, but they're often just following predefined workflows—no real autonomy, no dynamic decision-making.

For instance, some platforms claim their AI agents can "think and act independently," but when you look closer, you see that they're just executing pre-configured actions based on specific triggers. Sure, they can handle routine tasks, but they lack the cognitive flexibility that real agentic AI would require.

How can you tell if you're dealing with the real deal or just another buzzword?

How can you tell if you're dealing with the real deal or just another buzzword? Here are some key indicators of true agentic AI:

Key Indicators of True Agentic AI

1️⃣ Independent Decision-Making:

Real agentic AI evaluates situations in real-time and makes choices without needing human input. It's not just running through a script; it's genuinely adapting. For example, if an unexpected scenario occurs, the AI should be able to analyze the new context and adjust its approach—not just default to a prewritten response.

2️⃣ Transparent Reasoning (Chain of Thought):

If the AI can explain why it made a particular decision, that's a good sign. True agentic AI doesn't operate like a black box—it can break down its reasoning. Imagine an AI customer service bot that not only resolves an issue but also explains the logic behind its response, making it easier for humans to trust and verify its actions.

3️⃣ Autonomous Use of External Tools:

True agentic AI knows when and how to leverage external data sources, APIs, or microservices—without someone guiding it at every step. For example, an AI that can autonomously fetch the latest market data to update financial forecasts—without a human initiating the action.

4️⃣ Real-Time Self-Correction:

If something goes wrong, agentic AI can recognize and correct errors on its own. It's not just waiting for human intervention. A truly agentic system would monitor its own performance, detect anomalies, and automatically implement fixes or adjustments. For instance, the AI could automatically switch to an alternate data source if a data stream becomes corrupted.

5️⃣ Built-In Verifiers:

Responsible agentic AI includes mechanisms to ensure its actions remain ethical and compliant, independently of human oversight. For example, suppose an AI agent is tasked with analyzing social media data. In that case, it should have safeguards to avoid breaching privacy policies and recognize when it's venturing into ethically problematic areas.

6️⃣ Creation of Reusable Assets:

It's not just about completing a task—agentic AI builds workflows and knowledge bases that can be applied again, adding long-term value. An agent that learns from each task and improves its efficiency over time would be a clear sign of true agentic capability.

Why It Matters

There's a lot of buzz around agentic AI, but not every solution that claims to be agentic actually lives up to the promise. If your team is investing in AI to handle complex decision-making, you need to ensure it's not just automating predefined tasks. Otherwise, you might have a glorified rule-based system that can't adapt when things change.

When evaluating AI solutions, it's crucial to ask the right questions:

When evaluating AI solutions, it's crucial to ask the right questions:

• Does the AI make real-time decisions based on changing information?

• Can it explain its reasoning transparently?

• How does it handle unexpected scenarios?

• Does it self-correct without human input?

• Can it connect to and utilize external tools autonomously?

• Is it creating reusable knowledge or just completing isolated tasks?

If the answer to most of these questions is "no," then you're likely dealing with a system that's more automated than agentic AI.

Final Thoughts

Agentic AI has massive potential, but we need to be critical of the hype. Just because a tool claims to be "agentic" doesn't mean it truly thinks and acts independently. The more we understand the real capabilities of agentic AI, the better we can leverage it—and avoid disappointment when the reality doesn't match the promise.

💬 Have you encountered any AI tools marketed as agentic that didn't live up to the hype? Let's discuss it! 💬

Until next time,

Kesha

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