ChatGPT and AI Tools Faculty Research Guide

Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that act autonomously to achieve goals, often making decisions, taking actions, and adapting to new situations without constant human oversight. These systems are often described as “agents” because they:

1. Perceive their environment (through data or sensors),

2. Reason about how to act to achieve a goal,

3. Act in the environment,

4. Possibly learn and adapt based on feedback.

Key Characteristics of Agentic AI

Examples of Agentic AI

• AI personal assistants (e.g., an assistant that plans your travel end-to-end).

• Autonomous robots (e.g., a robot vacuum that maps your house and optimizes cleaning paths).

• AutoGPT/Devika/Hyperagents (AI systems that can write code, test it, and iterate without human help).

• Game agents (like NPCs that dynamically adapt strategies).

Why It Matters

Agentic AI represents a shift from passive tools (like ChatGPT used in a Q&A style) to active collaborators that can carry out complex tasks over time and even interact with the world on your behalf. This opens up powerful new possibilities — but also raises safety, alignment, and ethical questions.