If you watched the Superbowl, you likely saw a commercial featuring Matthew McConaughey dashing through the airport trying to make a flight despite a last-minute gate change, or dining outdoors in a torrential downpour, in each case, bemoaning the fact that he had not employed Salesforce's agentic AI to alter these outcomes.  Intrigued? Let us whet your appetite to learn more.

What is an AI agent?

Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can take autonomous action—not just provide suggestions or predictions. These systems can proactively execute tasks, respond to events or make decisions based on programmed objectives or learned behaviors. In contrast to generative AI and large language models (LLMs), which mainly generate text responses and offer insights based on vast training data, the primary function of agentic AI systems is to handle tasks or processes end-to-end, proactively within preset parameters and often without ongoing human intervention. AI agents can also integrate with broader systems (e.g., CRM, e-commerce, logistics) to make real-time decisions and take direct actions semi-autonomously. In the Salesforce Superbowl commercial scenario, for example, the AI agent could have rebooked Matthew McConaughey's dinner reservation to an inside table (based on weather reports for that area) or informed him of the gate change at the airport. Unlike generative AI models, AI agents can explain and double-check their own work product, and reflect on how to improve future performance.  

Will AI Agents Take Your Job?

The better question is how could you employ AI agents to assist you in excelling at your job. It is likely that there are certain specialized tasks that you could delegate to a trained AI agent, thus liberating your mental resources for higher level aspects of your job (perhaps these are even coveted aspects to which you feel you can never dedicate enough time because you get mired in other time-consuming yet critical tasks). While many refer to agentic AI as a disruptive technology, that does not mean that it will disrupt your job. Rather, it may revolutionize how you perform your job. 

Isn't Agentic AI Risky?

As with any developing technology, there are risks that need to be considered and mitigated.  Agentic AI has the potential for malicious or inappropriate use, loss of control, safety risks, overall misalignment with brand (or human) values, bias and other ethical and legal challenges.  To the extent that AI agents source from generative AI and LLM solutions, hallucinations could be a risk; however, AI agents are also capable of using other tools and online data to find missing information and provide a more complete and informed output and result. Human involvement and oversight of AI agents through all stages of implementation is critical to mitigate these risks.

What Steps Should You Take Now?

Be curious. Learn about agentic AI technology, and what the potential applications are for this innovation at your company or industry. If you have not yet received questions from your C-suite, marketing team, legal team or IT team yet, you should anticipate that such questions will arise soon.