In the not-so-distant future, most people won’t “use” AI — they’ll work alongside AI Teammates built on agentic technologies. This isn’t just another tech trend. It’s a fundamental shift in the Collaborative Intelligence Era powered by agentic technology that will transform how humans and AI partner to achieve superhuman results. I believe that humans who weave AI into their daily lives — as an enabling ingredient — will evolve into something more: hum(AI)n (pronounced humane)!
The terms “AI agent” and “agentic AI” have exploded in popularity over the past six months —Google Trends shows search interest for “AI agent” has quadrupled since September 2024. But what exactly is an AI agent, and why is this technology so important right now? And what does it actually mean? According to the World Economic Forum, an AI agent is a system that senses its environment, makes autonomous decisions, and takes actions to achieve specific goals. In plain terms, it’s software that doesn’t just research and plan, but also takes action.
What’s new is the sudden leap in complexity and the robust growth in capabilities of AI agents. We’re witnessing the birth of systems that can reason, learn, and execute complex tasks with minimal human oversight.
These agents aren’t simple algorithms. They’re sophisticated systems with:
I recently dove into the WEF’s comprehensive primer on this topic: Navigating the AI Frontier: A Primer on the Evolution and Impact of AI Agents.
In this edition of the newsletter, I’m breaking down the five insights that matter most for founders and product builders navigating the agentic frontier. This builds on my last newsletter on how AI is poised to transform industries.
1. From Rules to Reasoning: Build Defensible Moats
AI agents have evolved from simple rule-based systems to utility-based frameworks capable of perception, planning, and decision-making. Early agents followed fixed if-then rules. Today’s advanced agents reason through complex scenarios, adapt to new information, and execute multi-step workflows with minimal oversight.
This evolution is unlocking remarkable improvements in productivity by automating tedious tasks, efficiency through faster execution, and accessibility by delivering expert-like support where human resources are limited.
We are now on the cusp of seeing incredibly powerful multi-agent systems that will give rise to a Collaborative Intelligence Era, where humans and AI agents will work together.
The real-world impact is already visible across industries:
Takeaway: Founders can build defensible moats by investing in memory architecture, personalized agent experiences that learn user preferences over time, and specialized agents with deep vertical expertise.
2. AI Agents are Getting Physical: Target Interface Opportunities
AI agents are no longer confined to screens – the real world is the new frontier for AI. Already, advanced agents are being embedded in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and even urban infrastructure, blurring the lines between software and the real world.
AI agents vary in complexity and intelligence:
As agents move into the physical world, higher-level types become essential. A simple reflex agent might work for managing home lighting, but autonomous vehicles need utility-based agents that can make split-second decisions balancing safety, efficiency, and comfort in dynamic environments like streets, factories, and homes.
For example, an autonomous driving system needs to optimize safety, efficiency, and comfort — but it also needs to evaluate tradeoffs such as speed, fuel efficiency, and passenger comfort, all while calculating optimal paths through both static maps and ever-changing traffic situations.
Takeaway: The biggest untapped opportunity for startups is building the intelligence layer between software and physical environments – think logistics, energy, mobility, and manufacturing.
3. Multi-Agent Systems Are the New Cloud Architecture
Multi-agent systems (MAS) — where multiple AI agents collaborate, negotiate, or compete — are emerging as a critical architecture for solving large-scale, complex problems like smart city traffic or autonomous logistics.
These systems integrate agents with varying levels of complexity and intelligence. Each agent has specialized knowledge and capabilities, but the system relies on shared data to achieve collective goals. Agents may work independently but coordinate to reach consensus, or operate in supervised architectures where a “superviser” agent orchestrates others.
Today, most agents operate within closed environments. Soon, we’ll see agents coordinating across different domains, raising critical questions about communication protocols and collective decision-making.
Imagine a smart city where traffic signals, public transportation, emergency services, and even individual vehicles are controlled by interconnected agent systems that communicate to optimize overall city function. Each signal might have its own agent that coordinates with other signals and systems to route traffic efficiently, respond to emergencies, and direct vehicles to available parking.
Takeaway: The future belongs to interconnected agent networks, not isolated AI tools. Products solving complex problems should embrace agent orchestration standards. Early leaders in agent infrastructure could become as essential as today’s cloud platforms.
4. New Risks = New Governance. Embed Trust From Day One.
As agents gain autonomy, traditional safety and ethics frameworks are proving inadequate. The WEF report highlights the potential for harm if AI systems pursue objectives that aren’t aligned with human needs, especially in scenarios with high autonomy and minimal oversight.
The risks span multiple dimensions:
These aren’t theoretical concerns. As agents gain capabilities and autonomy, the need for human-in-the-loop design, behavioral monitoring, and new governance standards becomes increasingly urgent.
Takeaway: Founders that make AI safe, transparent, and trustworthy with monitoring tools, override mechanisms that maintain human control, and audit trails will gain advantages as regulations tighten. This creates opportunities for governance and safety tools.
5. A Call for Shared Stewardship: Amplify Expertise, Don’t Just Automate
AI agents present an unprecedented opportunity — but only if developed with equity, transparency, and foresight. This moment calls for a multi-stakeholder, cross-disciplinary collaboration across builders, regulators, and civil society to steer AI in a direction that serves humanity.
Looking ahead, the frontier of AI agents is rapidly evolving toward greater autonomy, more collaboration, and deep integration.
The rapid advance in AI agent capabilities will likely be followed by a wave of innovation that could transform the global economy and labor force.
The stakes are rising — and so is the need for intentional stewardship.
Takeaway: The biggest opportunity isn’t replacing workers – it’s creating AI agents that amplify expertise. AI agents that support experts (rather than just automating entry-level tasks) will differentiate on trust, adoption, and impact. Design for AI Teammates, not replacements.
The Coming AI Agent Revolution
The age of AI agents isn’t coming — it’s already arrived as the new wave in the Collaborative Intelligence Era. The agentic economy represents an entirely new paradigm where AI moves from a tool to an AI Teammate. For organizations looking to make the most of this wave, I recommend:
Bottom Line: The companies that will dominate the next decade are creating AI agents that amplify human capabilities, navigate physical environments, and coordinate in complex systems. For founders, the message is clear: understand the agentic frontier, identify opportunities for intelligence and integration, and build with human amplification (not replacement) as your north star.
