Artificial Intelligence is rapidly moving beyond systems that simply answer questions. The next shift is toward autonomous agents — AI systems that can take a goal, decide what needs to be done, use tools, observe the results, adapt their approach and continue working toward an outcome.

This 40-minute talk provides a simple and practical introduction to autonomous agents without getting lost in technical jargon.

The session will explore how autonomous agents differ from traditional chatbots and AI agents, what actually makes an AI system autonomous, and the fundamental loop that allows an agent to plan, act, observe, evaluate and continue working.

The talk will also go beyond the usual conversation around agents and examine an important question:

How much autonomy should we actually give AI?

Participants will be introduced to concepts such as levels of autonomy, human checkpoints, permissions, stopping conditions and the risks that emerge when an AI system is allowed to operate continuously.

The session concludes with a live demonstration of an autonomous agent working toward a goal, making decisions, using tools and adapting based on what happens during execution.

What participants will understand

* What an autonomous AI agent actually is

* The difference between chatbots, AI agents and autonomous agents

* How the autonomous agent loop works

* How agents reason, act, observe and adapt

* What makes an AI system more or less autonomous

* Why tools, memory, permissions and stopping conditions matter

* Where humans should remain part of the autonomous system

* What autonomous agents could mean for the future of work and software

The goal of the session is not just to explain another AI buzzword, but to help participants understand the fundamental shift from AI that answers questions to AI that can pursue outcomes.

Sukin Shetty is an Enterprise AI Architect, AI Product Builder, and AI Educator focused on turning AI into real-world solutions. He architects AI solutions for enterprises and builds AI products, agentic systems, and emerging AI technologies to solve complex problems. As an educator, he empowers professionals and organizations to move beyond using AI and start building with AI.

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