---
title: "Agentic AI: Definition"
description: "An approach to building software in which AI agents pursue goals by planning and executing multi-step actions with tools, choosing each next step based on "
canonical: https://sudosapient.si/terms/agentic-ai
updated: 2026-10-27
publisher: Sudo Sapient (https://sudosapient.com/)
---
# Agentic AI

**Agentic AI:** An approach to building software in which AI agents pursue goals by planning and executing multi-step actions with tools, choosing each next step based on results.

## Why it matters

Agentic is a spectrum, not a label. A system that drafts one email is barely agentic; one that plans steps, calls several tools and retries on failure is highly agentic. More autonomy means more ways to fail, so production systems usually keep agents at the judgement points and put deterministic code and human approval around them.

## Related terms

- [AI agent](https://sudosapient.si/terms/ai-agent): A system in which a language model decides which actions and tools to use, within defined limits, to complete a task, rather than following a fixed sequence of steps.
- [Tool use (function calling)](https://sudosapient.si/terms/tool-use): The ability of a language model to call external functions or APIs, such as search, databases or business systems, and use the results in its next step.
- [Human-in-the-loop (HITL)](https://sudosapient.si/terms/human-in-the-loop): A design in which a person reviews, approves or corrects AI outputs at defined points, typically for uncertain or high-impact cases, with the decision logged.

## Where it comes up

- [What is agentic AI?](https://sudosapient.si/answers/what-is-agentic-ai)
- [What is the difference between AI agents and agentic AI?](https://sudosapient.si/answers/what-is-the-difference-between-ai-agents-and-agentic-ai)
- [AI Automation vs RPA vs Workflow Tools: Which Does Your Process Need?](https://sudosapient.si/entries/ai-automation-vs-rpa)
- [Agentic AI for Business: What It Is and What Actually Works](https://sudosapient.si/entries/what-is-agentic-ai-for-business)

## In practice

In a Sudo Sapient sprint, this is a building block of AI Product Development: agents, copilots and AI-native features shipped in 6–10 weeks. [Sudo Sapient's services](https://sudosapient.com/services/) describe the scope.