What is agentic AI?

Agentic AI refers to systems that operate autonomously to achieve specific goals with minimal human supervision. Unlike traditional AI that reacts to inputs, it can plan, make decisions, and adapt its behaviour over time.

In practice, agentic AI can determine what needs to be done and complete tasks when directed by the user. Over time, it refines its approach by analysing outcomes and applying what it learns to future decisions.

Examples: What makes AI ‘agentic’?

Agentic AI acts with intent. It interprets requests and executes the next logical steps without further direction.

For example, it might check staff leave balances and remind employees with excess leave, or create a maintenance request and track it through to completion. It could also summarise meeting notes into clear actions for follow-up.

These scenarios show how agentic AI transforms simple prompts into outcomes, adding a new level of autonomy to everyday work.

Agentic AI vs Generative AI: What’s the difference?

Both rely on large language models (LLMs) and advanced reasoning, but their purpose and behaviour differ.

The main difference lies in initiative — agentic AI can act independently to achieve an outcome, rather than waiting for the next instruction.

Generative AI produces new content in response to a prompt. It can generate text, images, code, or data summaries, but its role ends once the output is delivered. The system does not decide what to do with that output or how to apply it.

Agentic AI, by contrast, is designed to act. It can set goals, plan a sequence of actions, and complete tasks to achieve an outcome for the user. These systems work within defined parameters, using reasoning and contextual awareness to decide the next step.

A generative AI might create a report, while agentic AI would also look up relevant data, distribute it, file it, schedule a follow-up task, and so on, all while keeping a human in the loop at critical decision-making stages.

Is ChatGPT agentic AI?

No. ChatGPT is an example of generative AI, not agentic AI. While it can produce high-quality responses to prompts, it doesn't take independent action or make decisions beyond what the user requests. At least not yet.

Agentic AI, by comparison, can use information from a model like ChatGPT as part of a broader reasoning process, but it operates with greater autonomy. It can plan, prioritise, and carry out actions across systems to achieve a defined goal.

In enterprise environments, this distinction is critical because it is what allows agentive AI to drive true organisational value.

How agentic AI works

Agentic AI systems rely on interconnected capabilities that allow them to operate independently. These core components are:

• Context: The system gathers and interprets data from different sources to understand its environment.
• Reasoning and decision-making: It assesses available information, identifies the best approach, and figures out the steps needed to achieve the goal.
• Planning: The system sequences tasks and allocates actions to different agents. It can also adapt the plan when new information becomes available.
• Action: It executes the plan, interacting with tools, workflows, or applications to carry out the necessary tasks.
• Reflection: After completing an action, it evaluates the outcome and adjusts its approach to improve accuracy and efficiency for next time.

For example, an AI-driven analytics assistant can surface relevant data and present a visual insight instantly, turning what once took minutes of manual effort into a few seconds of interaction.

Together, these components enable agentic AI to operate as an intelligent, self-directed system that keeps people in control of decisions at every stage.

Value delivery: The benefits of agentic AI

While generative AI is seemingly everywhere at the moment, roughly eight in ten companies that have deployed it report no material impact on earnings. That’s known as the ‘gen AI paradox’ and usually occurs because companies deploy AI as a ‘hammer looking for a nail’.

By contrast, agentic AI enhances how organisations operate and make decisions. Its autonomy reduces manual effort and improves responsiveness, resulting in true value for a customer.

Explore the benefits of agentic AI in greater detail below.

Increased productivity and efficiency

Gartner projects that by 2029, agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80 per cent of common customer service issues, proving its potential to lift efficiency and service delivery across industries.

Agentic AI streamlines work by handling multi-step processes that traditionally require staff oversight. Once given a goal, it can find the most efficient sequence of actions and automatically complete each task. This reduces time spent on ‘ERP busy work’, mainly manual data entry, approval tracking, and most of all, clicking through many different screens.

Better decision-making through continuous insight

Agentic AI improves decision-making by delivering timely insights and recommendations without the need for manual analysis. It continuously monitors performance data, identifies trends, and alerts users when action is required.

This constant feedback loop helps organisations respond faster to emerging issues and plan with greater accuracy. McKinsey research shows that early adopters of agentic AI are achieving measurable gains in decision speed and overall business performance.

Improved user experience and accessibility

Agentic AI makes complex systems easier to use by allowing natural interaction through voice or text. Users no longer need to navigate multiple screens or workflows to complete a task — they can simply describe what they need, and the system acts on their behalf.

This level of accessibility reduces training requirements and removes barriers for non-technical staff. It can also lead to higher employee satisfaction across digital tools as they spend more time focusing on outcomes instead of processes.

Governance, trust, and risk reduction

For agentic AI to deliver lasting value, it must operate within a framework of transparency and accountability. In regulated sectors, such as government, local councils, and education, this oversight is essential for keeping compliance and protecting sensitive information.

Enterprise-grade implementations are designed with these principles in mind, ensuring every action can be traced and audited. When supported by responsible design and security standards, agentic AI can strengthen data integrity while reducing the risk of error or misuse.

What is ‘Plus’?

Introduced at Showcase 2025, Plus is TechnologyOne’s new agentic AI product, purpose-built for customers on TechnologyOne’s SaaS ERP. It represents the next evolution of enterprise software — an AI that doesn’t just provide answers but takes action on behalf of the user.

Plus stands for Predict, Learn, Uncover, Simplify. It combines advanced reasoning with TechnologyOne’s SaaS+ workflows to interpret intent, anticipate needs, and deliver outcomes in a single interaction. Whether accessed through text or voice, Plus transforms how people work by connecting enterprise-wide data and managing tasks automatically.

Available from the 2026A software release, Plus requires the Connected Intelligence Anywhere (CiA) platform and is compatible across multiple TechnologyOne products, including:

• Financials
• Enterprise Budgeting
• Human Resources & Payroll
• Enterprise Asset Management and more.

Once licensed, it can be activated instantly using a 'turn it on' experience, with no additional configuration or training required.

TechnologyOne CEO Ed Chung believes that the potential benefits of Plus to our customers are “literally incalculable”.

“PLUS is the culmination of TechnologyOne’s 38-year mission to make the complex simple to help our communities,” he said.

“From the most mundane and repetitive tasks to critical management functions, PLUS will revolutionise all aspects of running an organisation, delivering not only cost savings but supporting better and more successful organisations from the day it is turned on.

“This is a watershed moment in enterprise software. PLUS redefines how organisations operate. It creates valuable time for communities to work more productively and sustainably.”

Built, hosted, and supported entirely in Australia, Plus delivers the assurance of local data protection and compliance.

How Plus works

Plus integrates across TechnologyOne’s enterprise products and allows users to interact with their system in plain language. A user can ask a question, request an update, or instruct the AI to complete a task. Plus interprets the request, engages the right agents, and delivers the result automatically.

Users can type or speak directly to Plus. It supports both voice and text commands, enabling a hands-free experience. Through voice recognition, users can ask questions and receive responses instantly.

They might ask for data visualisations, request a summary of recent documents, or upload an image for automatic processing. For example, a photo of a pothole can trigger a maintenance work request, with Plus checking for duplicates before submission.

Each conversation refines the system’s understanding, helping it deliver faster and more accurate responses over time.

Plus image embed

Once activated, Plus runs immediately. There is no setup, configuration, or training required. It begins working as soon as it is turned on, drawing from existing data within the SaaS+ environment to provide insights and automate everyday tasks.

“Best of all, it is so simple to use it requires no training or installation and will deliver a return on investment from moment one,” Mr Chung said.

Learn more about how Plus works here.