AI Ready: AI Agents- The Future of Delegated Intelligence

Welcome to the Fordham Faculty AI Interest Group Blog, where we explore the evolving world of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI in education, fostering dialogue, experimentation, and research to enhance teaching, learning, and collaboration across disciplines..

Note: Features may change with future updates.

Lately, you might have heard about “AI agents”—intelligent tools designed to streamline tasks like automating workflows, analyzing data, and creating content. Whether it’s helping professionals streamline their workload or enabling teachers to customize learning experiences, AI agents hold tremendous potential for enhancing productivity and creativity. Here’s a closer look at what AI agents are, how they work, and the impact they could have on our daily lives and educational settings.

What Are AI Agents?

AI agents are autonomous digital assistants designed to carry out specific tasks on behalf of users. They leverage machine learning, natural language processing, and, increasingly, sophisticated decision-making frameworks. While basic digital assistants, like Siri or Alexa, respond to simple commands, advanced AI agents can learn from their experiences, anticipate needs, and adapt their responses based on user interaction and goals.

For example, IBM describes AI agents as entities capable of “perception, reasoning, and action.” They use inputs from various data sources (perception), make decisions (reasoning), and then execute tasks (action). The combination of these three abilities allows them to handle tasks that would otherwise demand human input, saving users time and energy and offering a new level of efficiency in digital environments.

AI can save up to 20-30% administrative time by automating routine tasks. Gartner reports. Administrative tasks take up approximately 34% of teachers' time.

Types and Applications of AI Agents

AI agents come in various types, from single-function bots to sophisticated agents that handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Zapier identifies three primary types: personal AI agents, task-specific agents, and AI-powered decision-makers. Each type serves a unique purpose:

Personal AI Agents help manage daily activities like scheduling and organizing tasks.

Task-Specific Agents handle well-defined functions, such as customer service or data analysis.

Decision-Making Agents analyze large sets of data to offer insights, often useful in fields like finance, healthcare, and research.

For instance, in education, task-specific agents could help automate grading, freeing up instructors to focus on student engagement and curriculum development. Similarly, personal AI agents could assist students in tracking assignments and managing deadlines.

AI Agents and Autonomy: The OpenAI Swarm Method

Recently, OpenAI introduced an open-source framework called Swarm, which enables AI agents to collaborate on complex tasks. With Swarm, individual AI agents act like a team, coordinating and sharing insights to optimize task completion. This kind of swarm intelligence allows AI agents to process large projects faster, potentially revolutionizing sectors like research and logistics .

In academia, Swarm-enabled agents could help faculty with extensive research projects, offering data insights and processing significant amounts of literature. This collaborative model of AI agents adds a level of adaptability, making them valuable for fields requiring quick and complex data handling.

What’s Next for AI Agents in Education?

The emergence of AI agents signals a transformative shift in how technology might enhance productivity across sectors. With their potential to adapt, learn, and tackle a wide array of functions, AI agents could redefine workplace efficiency and educational technology, making them an exciting prospect in the evolution of AI.

Although AI agents are still in early stages, current trends indicate they may be widely adopted by 2026. For example, Salesforce’s new platform, Agentforce, aims to allow businesses to deploy AI agents across various roles, while Gartner projects that by 2026, over 100 million people could interact with AI agents daily in their work.

Final Thoughts

As AI agents continue to evolve, the opportunities for educational applications will likely grow, making them invaluable tools for instructors, students, and administrators alike. The future of delegated intelligence is here, and it’s primed to transform how we work, learn, and engage with information.