Setting up for agentic AI

One of the best supervillain perks is an endless supply of labor-saving henchmen. So, while it’s terrific that artificial intelligence (AI) can streamline data gathering, organization and analysis, why stop there? Maybe it can perform a few more preselected chores while it’s out there, including carrying out preprogrammed responses to conditions it encounters?

That’s what agentic AI is. It’s your minion that does things for you, and it’s getting more capable with increasingly complex goals, plans, tools and actions.

This shouldn’t be a shock for process control engineers, who’s whole gig is predicated on using automation to do more with less, and save time, money and labor. It’s just that now it’s software that’s automating itself, and achieving increasing autonomy. As usual, while consumer and business users charge ahead with developing AI and agentic AI tools and solutions, the process industries hang back, and experiment with them in similarly non-critical settings with help from simulation, Internet search, virtualization, analytics and other forms of software-based digitalization.

Installments

• Coordinate convergence and calm complexity: HighByte uses AI and AWS to help glassmaker streamline data infrastructure.