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What is agentic AI?

Updated on 20/02/2025
Illustration of agentic AI: definition, challenges, and applications across various sectors

Artificial intelligence is constantly evolving, and agentic AI represents one of its most promising advancements. Unlike traditional AI systems that merely respond to specific queries, agentic AI can act autonomously to achieve defined goals. But what does this really mean? How does it work, and in which industries does it have concrete applications? Let’s explore the foundations and implications of agentic AI together.

Agentic AI does not yet have a universally accepted definition. Some consider the terms "agentic AI" and "AI agents" interchangeable, while others differentiate them based on their levels of autonomy and decision-making capabilities. However, most experts agree on key elements, including adaptability, autonomy, and active decision-making. Inspired by principles from decision science and robotics, this form of AI stands out for its ability to anticipate and act without constant human intervention. As a major advancement in artificial intelligence, agentic AI enables autonomous agents to make decisions, plan actions, and adapt to their environment independently.

What are the main characteristics of agentic AI?

Autonomy: at the core of agentic AI, autonomy allows these systems to operate without requiring constant human supervision, while maintaining a high level of performance and reliability. This independence enables them to analyze complex situations, make decisions, and act appropriately in real time while adhering to predefined parameters and objectives.

 

Adaptability and continuous learning: these are fundamental characteristics that differentiate agentic AI from traditional AI systems. By interacting with its environment, the agent accumulates experiences that continuously enrich its knowledge base. Through machine learning algorithms, it evolves in real time, continuously improving its performance and refining its action strategies over time.

 

Interaction with the environment: AI agents are equipped with sophisticated perception and action systems, allowing them to interact with their environment. Using advanced sensors, they can perceive and analyze their operational context, while their action components, known as effectors, enable them to act on their surroundings. This creates a continuous improvement process based on feedback analysis and successive adjustments.

 

Defined objectives: agentic AI is programmed to achieve specific outcomes with a logic of continuous optimization. It analyzes various strategies to maximize its efficiency and deliver the best possible results within its field of application.

How does agentic AI work?

Machine learning: it enhances its performance through data analysis. AI processes vast datasets and adjusts its models based on detected patterns. The more information it receives, the more accurate and efficient it becomes in decision-making.

 

Natural language processing (NLP): this technology enables agentic AI to understand and generate text naturally, facilitating conversations and the comprehension of complex queries.

 

Multi-agent systems: these allow collaboration with other AI models to optimize decision-making. Multiple AI agents can work together to solve tasks more efficiently by sharing knowledge and adapting to each other's actions.

 

Process automation: it enables seamless and efficient task execution. This capability allows agentic AI to perform operations without human intervention, increasing productivity and minimizing potential errors.

Key differences between agentic AI and traditional AI

Agentic AI differs from traditional AI in several fundamental ways. Traditional AI systems typically operate on a "stimulus-response" model, reacting to specific inputs with pre-programmed responses. They excel at specialized tasks such as image recognition or natural language processing but have limited adaptability due to their initial programming. In contrast, agentic AI functions autonomously and proactively, making its own decisions and adjusting its behavior based on circumstances.

Unlike conventional systems that rely on fixed algorithms and require frequent human interactions, agentic AI is built on an advanced architecture that not only processes information but also plans, acts, and learns autonomously. Rather than strictly following predefined rules, it continuously evolves, adapting its actions based on past experiences and new contexts.

This distinction is particularly evident in decision-making. Traditional AI relies on predefined models and applies static scenarios, whereas agentic AI develops its own strategies based on its objectives and the information it perceives. For example, in customer service, traditional AI simply responds to inquiries based on a fixed knowledge base. In contrast, agentic AI can anticipate customer needs before they are explicitly stated, adjust its recommendations based on previous interactions, and suggest solutions before a problem even arises.

Uses of agentic ai in customer service

Agentic AI is particularly valuable in customer service, transforming user experiences and optimizing business performance.

 

1. Automation and personalization of interactions

With agentic AI, businesses can automate customer interactions while providing an ultra-personalized service. Unlike traditional AI, which follows predefined scripts, these autonomous agents can tailor their responses based on the context and the customer's profile. For example, a virtual assistant in a bank can analyze a customer’s transaction history and offer real-time, personalized financial advice.

 

2. Proactive handling of customer requests

Agentic AI anticipates customer needs before they even reach out for support. In e-commerce, it can detect a delivery delay and proactively send an update with alternative solutions, such as a refund or store credit. This approach reduces complaint volumes and enhances customer satisfaction. Additionally, by analyzing user behavior, it can identify anomalies and resolve issues before they escalate.

 

3. Omnichannel customer support

Agentic AI is transforming customer support by ensuring a consistent and intelligent presence across all communication channels. These agents can simultaneously manage interactions via chat, email, social media, and phone calls while maintaining a unified view of each customer. They automatically adapt to the channel used and the conversation's context, providing a seamless and personalized experience regardless of the touchpoint. For example, a customer asking a question on Instagram can continue the same conversation when calling customer service, without needing to repeat their issue.

 


4. Proactive problem resolution

AI agents do not simply wait for customer inquiries. By analyzing behavioral patterns and early warning signals, they can identify and resolve potential issues before they impact customers. For example, by detecting unusual usage patterns in a service, the AI agent can proactively intervene to prevent service disruptions or customer dissatisfaction.

 


5. Intelligent management of complaints and emergencies

In industries such as healthcare or insurance, agentic AI can analyze the urgency of a request and prioritize it accordingly. A customer reporting a critical service outage can be automatically connected with an expert, while more routine inquiries are handled autonomously by AI. Thanks to their escalation management capabilities, these agents can forward requests to a human representative with a detailed summary of the issue and previous resolution attempts, ensuring faster and more efficient support.

 


6. Advanced personalization of customer experience

With their ability for continuous learning, AI agents create dynamic customer profiles that evolve with each interaction. This enables highly personalized responses and recommendations, considering not only purchase history but also communication preferences, tone adjustments, and even the best time to reach out to the customer. This capability helps businesses significantly enhance customer engagement and strengthen loyalty.

 


7. Continuous improvement of customer service

Autonomous agents continuously learn from past interactions and user feedback. They refine their responses, identify recurring trends, and provide businesses with insights to optimize their customer support. This approach helps reduce costs while maintaining a high level of service.

Agentic AI represents a true technological revolution, fundamentally transforming the way we work and interact with digital technologies. Continuous advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning enable autonomous agents to become increasingly efficient and seamlessly integrated into our professional lives. As tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft invest heavily in this technology, DialOnce positions itself as a key player in driving the adoption of agentic AI in customer service. This innovation aims to enhance the customer experience by making it more seamless and tailored to business needs while facilitating interaction automation with a human-centric approach.

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