Discover what makes AI truly 'agentic' and why it matters for your growing business - insights from hands-on experience building AI systems.
Joe Harkins
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, you've probably heard terms like "AI," "GenAI," and now "agentic AI." As someone who's recently designed and built these systems, I want to share a straightforward explanation of what agentic AI means and why it matters for your business.
After working hands-on with this technology, I've found that agentic AI systems have three key characteristics that set them apart from other AI tools:
First, they make decisions similar to how humans would. Think of it like having a capable team member who can evaluate situations and choose the best course of action – but in this case, it's AI doing the work.
Second, these systems work independently, without needing constant human oversight. Once properly set up, they can handle tasks on their own, freeing up your team to focus on more strategic work.
Third, they work within your existing business systems. Just like a new employee learns to use your current software and follows your established processes and guidlines, agentic AI adapts to your existing technology stack rather than requiring you to adopt new tools or change your workflows.
Let's look at how agentic AI works in practice. At BitStorm Technologies, we've built a product called BitAgent that demonstrates these principles. One implementation handles inbound sales inquiries, showing how agentic AI adapts to specific business needs.
In this case, when a customer email arrives, the AI analyzes the message, determines if it's a sales lead, and orchestrates the response process through existing business tools - whether that's HubSpot, Salesforce, Office 365, or others. What makes this powerful is that the core framework remains consistent while the specific implementation adapts to each business's unique needs, tools, and processes.
The key difference from traditional automation is that BitAgent doesn't just follow rigid rules. It adapts its approach based on the specific situation, much like an experienced sales representative would.
For small and medium-sized businesses, agentic AI represents a significant opportunity. It's not just about automating tasks – it's about having an AI system that can handle complex processes intelligently and independently, without disrupting your existing operations. This means you can:
It's worth noting that the definition of agentic AI is still evolving, and you'll find various interpretations across the industry. The description I've shared comes from my hands-on experience building these systems and seeing what actually works for businesses like yours.
As we continue to develop and refine this technology at BitStorm Technologies, our focus remains on making AI practical and accessible for growing businesses. After all, technology is most valuable when it helps real businesses solve real problems.
About BitStorm Technologies: We help growing businesses use AI to work smarter. Our vision is to be a trusted partner helping businesses thrive in a world being transformed by AI. Learn more about how we're making AI accessible and practical for businesses of all sizes.