Authored by: Bryan Lachapelle, President & CEO
Artificial intelligence has been part of business technology for years now. We’re used to chatbots, spam filters, and tools that flag problems after they happen. But lately, you may have started hearing a new term: agentic AI.
It sounds technical, maybe even a bit intimidating - but the idea behind it is actually pretty simple.
So… what does “agentic” mean?
Most AI tools today are reactive. They wait for instructions.
You ask a question, the AI answers.
A system breaks, the software sends an alert.
A threat appears, someone has to decide what to do next.
Agentic AI works differently. Instead of waiting, it can take initiative. You give it a goal and some boundaries, and it figures out what actions to take to get there. Think less “assistant waiting at a desk” and more “junior team member who knows what they’re responsible for.”
A real-world way to think about it
Imagine driving with an old-school GPS. It tells you where to go - but if traffic backs up or a road closes, you’re on your own.
Now imagine a navigation app that automatically reroutes you, avoids accidents, and adjusts as conditions change (think Google Maps).
That second one is closer to agentic AI. It’s not just giving information. It’s paying attention, making decisions, and acting.
What makes AI “agentic”?
At its core, agentic AI does a few key things:
- It works on its own once goals are set
- It makes decisions based on what’s happening, not just prewritten rules
- It takes action, not just notes problems
- It learns over time, getting better at what it does
This doesn’t mean it’s running wild or making big business decisions on its own. It means it can handle the routine, fast-moving stuff without needing a human to approve every step.
You may already be using it
A lot of businesses are already benefiting from early versions of agentic AI without realizing it.
Examples include:
- Security tools that automatically isolate a compromised device
- Systems that detect performance issues and apply fixes
- Platforms that prioritize alerts instead of overwhelming teams with noise
The difference now is how much more capable these systems are becoming - and how much responsibility they can safely take on.
Why businesses should care
Modern IT environments are complicated. Cloud services, remote workers, third-party apps, constant updates - it’s a lot to manage.
Agentic AI helps by:
- Responding faster than people can
- Handling repetitive tasks automatically
- Reducing human error
- Freeing up IT and security teams to focus on bigger issues
For many organizations, especially small and mid-sized ones, this kind of automation makes a real difference.
Agentic AI and cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is one area where speed matters more than almost anything else.
Threats don’t wait for someone to check an alert. Agentic AI can:
- Watch systems around the clock
- Spot unusual behaviour right away
- Take immediate steps to contain issues
- Escalate to humans when judgment is needed
That kind of response time can be the difference between a minor incident and a serious breach.
Why people are still essential
Even with all this autonomy, agentic AI isn’t something you just turn on and walk away from.
It still needs:
- Clear rules and limits
- Oversight to make sure it’s acting in the business’s best interest
- Security controls to protect the AI itself
- Experienced professionals who understand both technology and risk
This is why agentic AI works best when it’s managed by people who know what they’re doing - often through a trusted IT or cybersecurity partner.
What agentic AI isn’t
It’s worth clearing up a few myths:
- It’s not replacing people
- It’s not making executive decisions
- It’s not a single magic product
- And it’s definitely not science fiction
It’s simply a smarter way to handle complexity at scale.
The bottom line
Agentic AI is about moving from systems that react to systems that act. For businesses, that means faster responses, fewer fires to put out, and more time spent on what actually matters.
You don’t need to be an AI expert to benefit from it - but understanding what it is (and what it isn’t) puts you in a much better position to use it responsibly as it becomes more common.
Want to learn more about agentic AI? Reach out to one of our IT experts today.
