Agentic web

{{Short description|Theoretical evolution of the Internet}}

{{Orphan|date=June 2025}}

The agentic web is the theoretical evolution of the Internet characterized by widespread integration of autonomous software agents that perform tasks on behalf of users.{{Cite web |last=Brudenell |first=David |date=2025-02-07 |title=Why 'agentic web' is the next term you need to understand |url=https://www.forbes.com.au/news/innovation/why-agentic-web-is-the-next-term-you-need-to-understand/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=forbes.com.au}} These agents are usually powered by artificial intelligence (AI), and designed to understand user preferences, initiate actions, and make decisions across digital environments with minimal human intervention.{{Cite web |last=Nuñez |first=Michael |date=2025-05-19 |title=Microsoft announces over 50 AI tools to build the ‘agentic web’ at Build 2025 |url=https://venturebeat.com/ai/microsoft-announces-over-50-ai-tools-to-build-the-agentic-web-at-build-2025/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}

Concept and origins

The agentic web represents an advancement of previous internet phases starting from Web 1.0 static information to Web 2.0 interactive social features and Web 3.0 semantic decentralized innovations.{{Cite web |last=Mauran |first=Cecily |date=2025-05-19 |title=What is agentic AI and why is everyone talking about it? |url=https://mashable.com/article/agentic-ai-explainer |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Mashable |language=en}} The term "agentic" describes agency which represents the ability of an entity to operate independently. The web transitioned from human-initiated user interactions to automated decision-making through intelligent systems which perform delegated tasks.{{Cite web |title=Unpacking the Three Eras of the Agentic Web Revolution |url=https://www.decidr.ai/blog/the-three-eras-of-the-agentic-web |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Decidr.ai |language=en-AU}}

The term started to emerge as a concept during the early 2020s when people discussed AI-driven digital experiences and large language models and autonomous software agents.

Characteristics

The agentic web is generally characterized by the integration of autonomous software agents capable of performing tasks and making decisions with limited human input. These agents often operate based on user preferences and contextual information, enabling a higher degree of personalization in digital experiences. Users may delegate routine or complex tasks to these systems, such as managing calendars, curating content, or conducting transactions.{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Nilay |date=2025-05-19 |title=Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on the birth of the agentic web |url=https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/669409/microsoft-cto-kevin-scott-interview-ai-natural-language-search-openai |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}

In more advanced scenarios, multiple agents can coordinate across different platforms to accomplish compound objectives. The systems that underpin the agentic web typically incorporate contextual awareness, drawing on environmental and behavioral data to inform their actions and improve their effectiveness over time.{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Will |title=OpenAI Launches an Agentic, Web-Based Coding Tool |url=https://www.wired.com/story/openai-launches-an-agentic-web-based-coding-tool/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}

Potential applications

The agentic web concept has already begun to appear in various everyday domains including online shopping and work tools and education and healthcare. Software agents in e-commerce help customers discover optimal deals while managing subscriptions and performing automatic purchases based on predefined conditions. Work agents perform three main functions which include scheduling meetings and managing emails and composing fundamental messages.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-23 |title=Microsoft goes full agentic at Build 2025 with new AI tools, from Copilot coding agent to Discovery |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/microsoft-goes-full-agentic-at-build-2025-with-new-ai-tools-from-copilot-to-discovery-10016602/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

These agents function in educational settings to modify lesson content according to student learning speed and produce educational materials that address specific student difficulties. Healthcare agents monitor patient data to provide automatic medication and appointment reminders which help patients maintain their health without needing continuous mental effort.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-28 |title=Opera's new 'fully agentic' browser can surf the web for you |url=https://www.engadget.com/ai/operas-new-fully-agentic-browser-can-surf-the-web-for-you-145035874.html |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}

Concerns and criticisms

The agentic web development has generated multiple issues regarding privacy protection and security measures and user self-governance. The effectiveness of agentic systems depends on processing extensive personal data which creates new risks for data misuse and unauthorized access and surveillance. Security becomes a challenge because autonomous agents operating on behalf of users face potential exploitation which could result in unintended actions or security breaches.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-20 |title=The Agentic AI Era Could Be the Internet's Return to Form |url=https://www.adweek.com/programmatic/agentic-ai-internet-return-to-form/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |language=en-US}}

The accountability of agents remains unclear when their decisions produce negative results. Some critics believe that increased dependence on automated systems will lead users to lose their ability to monitor their digital activities. The use of artificial intelligence to build agentic systems raises concerns about bias because these systems tend to duplicate or strengthen discriminatory patterns found in their training data.{{Cite news |last=Nellis |first=Stephen |date=2025-05-19 |title=Microsoft wants AI 'agents' to work together and remember things |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/microsoft-wants-ai-agents-work-together-remember-things-2025-05-19/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |work=Reuters |language=en}}

Related concepts

See also

References

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Category:Internet