Mapping the Landscape: Understanding AI Agents: Current trends and future directions
Location
Online
Date & Time
Tuesday 12 May 2026 12:00 - 13:00
Delivered by Dominik Lukes
Audience Exposure Level: Level 2: Sometimes use AI
This session will provide a detailed map of the most powerful trend in AI today — the shift from chatbot interactions to agentic AI systems that can take actions, use tools, work autonomously on your computer, and orchestrate complex multi-step workflows. Understanding this shift is becoming essential for anyone who wants to make full use of what AI can now offer.
Objectives
- What defines an AI agent and how it differs from a chatbot
- The spectrum of agent autonomy — from tool-using assistants to semi-autonomous systems
- Current agentic tools: coding agents, research agents, workflow agents
- Task suitability: what agents handle well and where they struggle
- Implications of agentic AI for research and professional practice
Event materials will be published on Canvas following the session
