By Haddon Libby
A new kind of artificial intelligence is quietly entering everyday life and changing how people manage their routines. It’s called agentic AI – software that does more than answer questions or generate text. It can pursue a goal, break the work into steps, use connected tools, and carry tasks forward with limited supervision.
Unlike a basic chatbot that responds one prompt at a time, agentic AI works more like a digital assistant. A user might say, “Plan a weekend trip for under $800, including flights and lodging,” or “Sort my inbox, flag the urgent messages, draft replies, and suggest meetings for follow-up.” The system can reason through the steps, search for information, work across apps such as email and calendars, and adjust if something changes.
Gartner analyst Tom Coshow has described AI agents as software entities that can perceive, make decisions, take actions, and pursue goals. That is what makes agentic AI different from traditional software: it is designed not just to respond, but to move a task forward.
How People Are Already Using It
People are already finding practical uses for these systems at home and at work. Parents use them to coordinate family schedules, research camps and activities, and compare travel options. Small business owners use them to answer routine customer questions, organize receipts, follow up on leads, and draft simple reports. Others use them for reminders, bill tracking, or quick summaries of emails and appointments.
You do not need to be a programmer to try one. For many users, the appeal is simple: these tools can save time, reduce routine work, and make digital tasks feel less overwhelming.
Getting Started in Three Easy Ways
- Ready-to-Use Options.Several consumer-friendly services now offer agent-style features with little setup. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude both support more advanced tool use, while platforms such as Zapier and n8n make it easier to connect actions across apps. Many services offer free tiers or paid plans, depending on how much automation a user wants.
- No-Code Builders.If you want something more tailored, no-code platforms let users create automated workflows in plain language. That makes it possible to build simple agents without writing software from scratch.
- Build Your Own.For those who want more control, open frameworks such as CrewAI and LangGraph allow developers to design custom agents for specific tasks, workflows, or privacy needs.
What to Watch Out For
The technology is improving quickly, but caution still matters. Experts recommend starting with low-risk tasks and reviewing important actions, especially anything involving money, medical information, or legal decisions. Costs vary widely, from free plans to monthly subscriptions for heavier use.
Privacy is another important consideration. Before connecting an agent to email, calendars, or files, users should understand what data the service can access, where that data is stored, and what approval controls are available.
The Bigger Picture
Supporters see agentic AI as the next step beyond passive software: tools that can help people complete work instead of simply reacting to prompts. Bill Gates has argued that agents could reshape how people use computers by handling tasks across applications rather than forcing users to jump between them.
That may prove especially valuable for people who feel buried by email, scheduling, travel planning, and other digital chores.
Whether someone is managing a side business, planning a family trip, or simply trying to stay organized, personal AI agents are becoming easier to try. They are not perfect, and they still require oversight. But for users willing to start small, they may offer a glimpse of a more useful and less exhausting digital life.
Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com
