Large language models have changed how big corporations function, and the arrival of AI ‘agents’ – essentially automated Moneypennys – could prove irresistibleIf 2024 was the year of large language models (LLMs), then 2025 looks like the year of AI “agents”. These are quasi-intelligent systems that harness LLMs to go beyond their usual tricks of generating plausible text or responding to prompts. The idea is that an agent can be given a high-level – possibly even vague – goal and break it down into a series of actionable steps. Once it “understands” the goal, it can devise a plan to achieve it, much as a human would.OpenAI’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, recently explained it thus to the Financial Times: “It could be a researcher, a helpful assistant for everyday people, working moms like me. In 2025, we will see the first very successful agents deployed that help people in their day to day.” Or it’s like having a digital assistant “that doesn’t just respond to your instruct...
John Naughton believes that AI agents, more powerful than simply responding to prompts, will be the defining AI development of 2025.
These agents can understand complex goals and autonomously break them down into actionable steps, essentially acting as proactive, problem-solving digital assistants.
This concept, he compares to Microsoft Excel's impact on business processes, suggesting AI agents will be the analogous transformative tool for individuals and organizations in the 21st century.
John Naughton believes that AI agents, more powerful than simply responding to prompts, will be the defining AI development of 2025. These agents can understand complex goals and autonomously break them down into actionable steps, essentially acting as proactive, problem-solving digital assistants. This concept, he compares to Microsoft Excel's impact on business processes, suggesting AI agents will be the analogous transformative tool for individuals and organizations in the 21st century.
