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GlossaryAgentsIntermediate

Agentic system

Also written: Agent AI, Agentic enterprise, Agent systems, AI agents, Intelligent agents, Agent Gateway, Agent memory framework, Agent-based systems

An AI system that can act autonomously to achieve goals, often by planning and executing tasks.

In plain terms

An agentic system is a type of artificial intelligence designed to act on its own to accomplish tasks or reach goals. Think of it like a digital assistant that doesn't just wait for your commands but can figure out the steps needed to get something done.

For example, an agentic system could be tasked with planning a trip. It might first research flights and hotels, then book them, and finally create an itinerary, all without needing constant step-by-step instructions from you. It perceives its environment, makes decisions, and takes action to achieve the objective.

The expert version

An agentic system is an AI designed for autonomous operation, capable of perceiving its environment, making decisions, and taking actions to achieve specific goals. These systems often involve sophisticated planning, task decomposition, and execution capabilities, potentially interacting with external tools or environments. Tradeoffs include increased complexity, potential for unintended actions, and the need for robust safety mechanisms.

Why it matters now

Agentic systems are a major focus as companies like OpenAI and Microsoft are integrating them into their core products, such as ChatGPT and Copilot. Google Gemini is also highlighting their use for agent-based tasks, while Anthropic is exploring advanced attack vectors against them, showing the rapid development and security concerns surrounding autonomous AI.

Where it shows up 24 items, newest first
How each company uses it
Anthropic Claude
Anthropic is researching sophisticated attacks on agent systems, indicating their importance and the need for robust security.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is positioning its AI for agent-based tasks and coding, emphasizing speed and cost-effectiveness.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft is using AI agents for advanced security defense and integrating agent capabilities into Copilot for task execution.
OpenAI ChatGPT
OpenAI has introduced AI agents into ChatGPT to handle knowledge tasks, aiming to boost efficiency.
Related terms

Autonomous agentsAI planningTask decompositionReinforcement learningTool use in AIAI orchestration

Often confused with
Chatbot
Chatbots primarily respond to direct user prompts, while agentic system
Large Language Model (LLM)
An LLM is the core technology that powers many agent
Robotics
Robotics involves physical embodiment and interaction with the real wo
Origin

The concept of agents in AI has roots in early AI research, particularly in areas like intelligent agents and multi-agent systems. The modern focus on agentic systems as described in recent literature and product announcements emphasizes autonomous goal achievement through planning and action. Source ↗

Try this about 5 minutes

Ask your AI assistant to plan a weekend trip to a city you've never visited. Instruct it to find three potential activities, suggest a restaurant for Saturday evening, and outline a possible schedule. Observe if it can generate a coherent plan without you specifying every single step.

Try it: Playbook entries that use thisPlaybook →

The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.

Questions people ask

Can an agentic system make mistakes?
Yes, like any AI, agentic systems can make mistakes. Their autonomous nature means careful design and oversight are crucial to ensure they act safely and effectively.
What's the difference between an agentic system and a simple AI program?
A simple AI program usually performs a specific, predefined task when prompted. An agentic system is designed to understand a broader goal and figure out the steps to achieve it, often adapting its approach as it goes.

First seen on Subvolts May 14, 2025. Updated Oct 12, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.