Executive Summary

Agentic AI is a rapidly evolving field that's reshaping how we interact with artificial intelligence. The AI Practice Group in the Government Technology Agency of Singapore has curated a primer which aims to demystify Agentic AI, moving beyond the buzzwords to provide a clear understanding of its core concepts, practical applications, and future potential, especially in the Singapore public service.

This document is designed for a broad audience, including developers, product managers, researchers, and anyone curious about the next generation of AI. Whether you're a seasoned AI practitioner or just beginning to explore the field, this guide will provide valuable insights.

With this primer, we address the often confusing and fragmented information surrounding Agentic AI. While Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable capabilities, Agentic AI takes this a step further, enabling autonomous decision-making and action. This document will clarify how Agentic AI differs from simply using LLMs, explore the real-world problems it solves, and explain its relationship to other crucial techniques like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and fine-tuning. We'll examine the challenges inherent in developing and deploying Agentic AI, showcase practical use cases from industry and government, and provide a roadmap for implementation using relevant tools and frameworks. Ultimately, this primer equips you with the knowledge to understand, evaluate, and apply Agentic AI effectively.