---
title: "What is agentic AI?"
description: "Agentic AI is software that pursues a goal by planning and executing multi-step actions with tools, choosing each next step based on the results of the pre"
canonical: https://sudosapient.si/answers/what-is-agentic-ai
updated: 2026-10-27
publisher: Sudo Sapient (https://sudosapient.com/)
---
# What is agentic AI?

**Agentic AI is software that pursues a goal by planning and executing multi-step actions with tools, choosing each next step based on the results of the previous one.**

In practice, an agentic system is given a goal and a set of tools (search, a CRM, an email client, a database) and decides which steps to take. The more steps and the more freedom, the more ways it can fail. The most reliable business systems today are mostly deterministic pipelines with an agent at the judgement points, with code-level guardrails and a human approval before anything irreversible.

## Go deeper

- [Agentic AI for Business: What It Is and What Actually Works](https://sudosapient.si/entries/what-is-agentic-ai-for-business)
- Terms: [Agentic AI](https://sudosapient.si/terms/agentic-ai)

## More on agents and automation

- [What is the difference between AI agents and agentic AI?](https://sudosapient.si/answers/what-is-the-difference-between-ai-agents-and-agentic-ai)
- [Are AI agents ready for business use?](https://sudosapient.si/answers/are-ai-agents-ready-for-business-use)
- [What is the difference between AI automation and RPA?](https://sudosapient.si/answers/what-is-the-difference-between-ai-automation-and-rpa)