The dream of self-directed AI is becoming real, and companies can’t wait to turn their agents loose on everyday workflows. Standards like the Model Context Protocol are helping agents move from chat to action, while new frameworks promise smoother integrations and smarter automation. But as these agents grow more autonomous—and start teaching themselves—so do the risks. From compliance to cybersecurity, organizations must now learn how to govern what they’ve unleashed. This month’s stories explore both sides of that frontier: the breakthroughs and the breakdowns of agentic AI.
Top picks for generative AI readers on InfoWorld
How self-learning AI agents will reshape operational workflows
Companies are salivating at the idea of letting autonomous AI agents off the leash, and their emerging ability to learn from their own experiences (and mistakes) can make that vision a reality.
How MCP is making AI agents actually do things in the real world
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an emerging standard that allows generative AI systems to interact with other services and data stores, and it can help release AI agents from their walled garden into the real world of productive work.