Agentic AI and the Rise of Digital Labor

I’ll admit it: I’ve become a bit of an AI nerd.

Over the past few years, I’ve spent more time than I care to admit reading about artificial intelligence, experimenting with it, and thinking through how it can transform business and life. While generative AI dominates the headlines, I’m more intrigued by something more profound: agentic AI.

At ketteQ, agentic AI isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the foundation of our software. It’s ushering in the era of digital labor, where intelligent systems don’t just generate content; they think, act, adapt, and solve.

“We are entering the age of digital labor, where AI agents work alongside humans—not just as tools, but as intelligent teammates.”
— Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce

What Makes Agentic AI Different

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT respond to prompts, while Agentic AI doesn’t wait; it’s proactive and goal-oriented. You define success, and it autonomously figures out how to get there, learning from real-time feedback.

It’s not automation (which is rigid) or generative AI (which is reactive). Agentic AI is adaptive.

At ketteQ, our PolymatiQ™ solver embodies this approach, evaluating thousands of scenarios, managing constraints, and continuously adjusting to generate optimal supply chain plans. The result? No more static planning cycles. No more guesswork.

“Agentic AI is the future—not just smart, but self-directed. It’s where AI becomes a doer, not just a scribe.”
— Fei-Fei Li, Stanford AI Lab

Real-World Impact

Across industries, agentic AI is already delivering value:

• Healthcare: speeding up diagnoses and enabling proactive care.

• Manufacturing: allowing the robots to adapt to human workflows.

• Supply chain: transforming how companies plan inventory and respond to disruptions.

Gartner sees this trend accelerating:

“By 2026, over 75% of supply chain organizations will have invested in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics capabilities to support the move toward more autonomous decision-making.”
— Gartner, “Predicts 2024: Supply Chain Technology”

At ketteQ, agentic AI delivers better forecasts, higher service levels, and lower inventory costs. It’s not about replacing people; it’s about augmenting decision-making and unlocking speed and agility where legacy tools fall short.

Imagine your planner having digital assistants who don’t sleep or take PTO, always working to optimize your supply chain.

Autonomy Requires Governance

With autonomy comes responsibility. That’s why governance frameworks are essential. Our agentic systems are built with observability, audibility, and human override features from the ground up.

“We need AI that is not just autonomous, but also aligned—with goals, values, and oversight built in from the ground up.”
— Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind

Enterprise AI must be explainable, secure, and accountable. That’s how it earns trust.

Clean Data, Real Results

Even the smartest AI is useless with bad data. Every ketteQ implementation starts with data hygiene, ensuring clean, consistent, and complete datasets. That’s what fuels intelligent action.

“The era of AI is really the era of data quality. If your data isn’t trustworthy, your AI isn’t either.”
— Andrew Ng, Co-founder of Google Brain

The Next Frontier: Agent Collaboration

Looking ahead, multi-agent collaboration is the next evolution. Picture demand planning agents, logistics agents, and capacity planning agents communicating in real-time—coordinating across departments to drive intelligent, end-to-end performance.

That’s not science fiction. That’s where enterprise AI is headed.

Key Takeaways

Agentic AI is no longer a theory; it’s here, working and reshaping how businesses operate.

It’s not just about doing things faster; it’s about doing them smarter. Agentic AI adapts, learns, and acts in complex, dynamic environments like the supply chain.

If your organization still relies on static plans, legacy systems, or spreadsheet-based manual workarounds, it’s time to rethink.  The future of your supply chain won’t be built on spreadsheets, it will be powered by digital labor: autonomous agents that help you plan smarter, adapt faster, and lead with confidence.

Want to go deeper?
Download the AI Innovation Guide: From Predictive to Generative to Agentic AI in Supply Chain, co-authored by Cheryl Capps, former Chief Supply Chain Officer, Corning, and Chris Amet, Chief Innovation Officer, ketteQ.