Last week, Tonkean co-founder Sagi Eliyahu connected with PYMNTS to discuss agentic orchestration.
Specifically, Sagi defined what it is, what it isn't, and what making the most of AI agents actually requires.
In an article titled, "How to Recognize ‘Agent Washing’ Before AI Leaves You out to Dry," PYMNTS sites recent Gartner research, which found that "most of the AI agent systems being sold today are not truly agentic." According to the Gartner's report, out of thousands of AI agent systems touted by vendors, only 130 are real.
PYMNTS asked Sagi to define what true AI agents actually look like.
“True AI agents are defined by goal-driven autonomy — the ability to work dynamically and proactively, with self-determination, to pursue long-term business goals,” Sagi Eliyahu said.
The key ingredient for making use of agents, however, is integration.
“A true agentic AI system orchestrates agents across every relevant piece of technology or team environment," Sagi said. "If the ‘agent’ only handles discrete tasks that are defined by the user, if it only works inside its own system, or if it’s only accessible through chat, it may in fact be an AI capability, but it’s not an agent — it’s an automation or it’s a chatbot.”
The article goes on:"Eliyahu said it’s important that an agentic AI system supports orchestration. 'Orchestration is the essential infrastructure for leveraging AI agents to their full potential,' Eliyahu said. “Agentic orchestration is how you instrument AI agents for enterprise. It’s an approach that puts agents alongside employees to coordinate workflows, execute tasks and drive outcomes — all while following configurable policies and guardrails.'”