Agentic AI: the revolution of an AI that “stops being reactive” and begins to decide

Agentic artificial intelligence is emerging as the next great technological evolution: a scenario in which AI will no longer be limited to responding to instructions but will begin to act autonomously and proactively. A change that promises transform the relationship between humans and machines and which, according to experts, will force companies to rethink processes, structures and governance models.

This is the panorama presented by Josep Hilari, director of Marketing and Digital Innovation at Ingram Micro Iberia, who sees large technology companies moving in this direction. An example is Microsoft, which has integrated Copilot into a good part of its services and has given it capabilities to execute actions directly by the user. Your agents can manage emails, coordinate meetings or automate workflowsbringing closer the idea of ​​systems capable of making operational decisions autonomously.

In statements to Europa Press, Hilari considers that this change represents a turning point in the evolution of artificial intelligence. “We already knew that AI had arrived to change everything, but now it is about to stop being a reactive tool at the service of a proactive user to become a proactive tool at the service of the user“, he states. In his opinion, this leap “represents an absolute rethinking of the way in which humans and machines relate.”

FROM ASSISTANT TO SELF-EMPLOYED AGENT

Although agentic AI is still in the development phase, its applications are beginning to be clearly defined. One of the areas where the greatest impact is expected is cybersecurity. Thanks to their ability to monitor infrastructures, analyze behaviors and act without human intervention, these agents could become a key tool to develop more proactive security models.

Such a system, for example, could detect suspicious email, check if it has reached other employees, automatically block it and alert both those responsible for security and those potentially affected, all of this without the need for human intervention. These are capabilities that numerous technology providers are already exploring and beginning to incorporate into their solutions, as wholesaler Ingram Micro knows firsthand.

Beyond security, agentic AI also aims to transform areas such as customer service, where it will reduce response times and automate simple incidents; human resourcesfiltering profiles and organizing interviews; or sectors such as healthcare and the financier, relieving human professionals of administrative tasks.

The goal, according to Hilari, should not be to completely replace people. “The objective should not be to automate everything so that humans do nothing, but rather to take advantage of the capabilities of these agents to multiply our own capabilities as professionals“, he claims.

A NEW ROLE FOR THE WORKER

The expansion of agentic AI will also force us to redefine the role of employees within organizations. In this new model, the human will begin to play a monitoring, validation and coordination function compared to systems capable of executing complex tasks autonomously.

“The debate should not be whether AI will replace us, but how we reimagine our role in an environment where humans and agents work together,” explains Hilari. In his opinion, “Whoever understands that will stop seeing technology as a threat and will begin to use it for what it really is: a capacity multiplier.

This change will require companies to review their operational structure from the ground up and define to what extent they want to grant autonomy to these systems, especially in the early implementation phases. The coexistence between humans and AI agents with the capacity to make decisions that directly affect the business poses new challenges related to governance, oversight and accountability.

“What is clear is that the window to prepare narrows. Companies that begin today to define their governance model, identify which processes can – and should – be automated, and train their teams to work alongside AI agents, will be the ones that lead the transition. Those who wait for the technology to become a commonly accepted reality will arrive late,” concludes the Ingram Micro manager.