Autonomy Is as Autonomy Does

Autonomy is--by definition--the defining characteristic shaping autonomous and non-autonomous artificial intelligence systems, and for a number of reasons, including human trust in autonomous systems, AI agents are going to be more common than agentic AI for some time, it is reasonable to forecast. 

There are a few exceptions. By definition, self-driving vehicles such as those operated by Waymo already have to be autonomous, as they must navigate an environment which is never static or predictable. 

Cybersecurity functions and some supply chain functions also operate “best” when autonomous and modifying their behavior in response to new conditions. 

AI agents do not normally modify their behavior without human oversight. 

The caveat is that it sometimes might be hard to differentiate between an AI agent and agentic AI, as AI agents gradually add learning functions, as will undoubtedly happen. 

Characteristic	Autonomous Agentic AI	AI Agents
Autonomy	High level of independence, can make decisions without constant human oversight1 3	Operate within defined parameters, often following predefined rules and scripts3
Goal Orientation	Focuses on achieving long-term, complex goals3	Primarily task-oriented, executing specific functions3
Adaptability	Highly adaptive, can adjust strategies based on new information or changing circumstances1 3	Limited adaptability, often require reprogramming for new tasks3
Learning Capability	Continuously learns and refines decision-making processes3	Often limited in learning capabilities3
Complexity	More sophisticated, integrating advanced technologies for reasoning and problem-solving3	Generally simpler, designed for well-defined tasks3
Decision-Making	Evaluates multiple factors and potential outcomes before making decisions3	Typically follows a straightforward, rule-based decision-making process3
Environmental Awareness	Actively perceives and adapts to the environment3	Operates within a controlled environment with limited interactions3
Proactivity	Responds proactively to changes, anticipating needs and problems2 3	Typically reactive, responding to specific inputs3
Planning	Can plan and sequence actions to achieve specific goals5	May have limited or no planning capabilities
Tool Usage	Can use various tools and capabilities to perform tasks effectively5	May have limited or predefined tool usage

Also, even today, agentic AI and AI agent capabilities overlap, some would argue. Both autonomous agentic AI and AI agents have some level of decision-making capability. While agentic AI has more advanced and independent decision-making processes, AI agents can also make decisions within their defined parameters.

Both types of AI can execute tasks autonomously, although the complexity and scope of these tasks should differ. Agentic AI can handle more complex, multi-step tasks, while AI agents typically focus on specific, predefined functions.

Both agentic AI and AI agents can interact with their environment. Agentic AI has a more sophisticated ability to perceive and adapt to changing circumstances, but AI agents can also respond to inputs.

While agentic AI has more advanced learning capabilities, some AI agents can also improve their performance over time based on new data and experiences.

Both types of AI are designed to achieve specific goals, but agentic AI arguably will be used to manage long-term, complex  goals, while AI agents focus on more immediate, task-specific objectives.