Beyond Chatbots—The Rise of the AI Agent

**This event will be held in person only.

Chatbots are powerful, but we are not moving past the era of simply "chatting" with Generative AI models to create, analyze, summarize, and transform content. The next frontier has arrived: AI agents, and agentic systems. AI Agents are taking these models to the next level by moving from conversation and generation to action and autonomy. This presentation will explore how agents leverage the reasoning power of LLMs to independently plan, use tools, and execute complex workflows. We are transitioning from AI as a digital assistant to AI as a digital colleague—capable of driving massive leaps in productivity, scientific research, and business innovation.

In this presentation, Austin Forum executive director Jay Boisseau and his expert panelists will cover:

• The Anatomy of an Agent: Understanding how agents differ from standard LLMs. We will break down the "Agentic Workflow"—how these systems perceive a goal, decompose it into tasks, and use iterative reasoning to complete them without constant human prompting.
• Autonomy & Productivity: How agentic frameworks enable "autonomous loops," allowing for 24/7 research, automated coding, and complex project management that scales beyond human capacity.
• The Tooling Landscape: A deep dive into current state-of-the-art agentic tools. We will discuss the impact of platforms like Claude Cowork, which integrates seamlessly into professional environments, and OpenClaw, the open-source movement pushing the boundaries of agentic control.
• Getting Started: Practical advice for individuals and organizations ready to move beyond the prompt. We’ll cover how to identify "agent-ready" tasks and the best frameworks for deployment.
• The Future Horizon: A look at the evolving landscape. As agents become more capable, what does a world of "agent-to-agent" communication look like, and how will it reshape the global economy?

These agentic technologies can be used by anyone, and anyone can learn to configure their agents and develop their own systems to greatly enhance their productivity and impact. Join us to learn how to supercharge your work, career, company, and life with agentic AI!

Agenda

​5:15-6:15 p.m. In-person Networking

6:15-7:30 p.m. Presentation

7:30-7:45 p.m. Q&A

​8:00 p.m. Networking

Attendance Instructions

In-person

Join us at The Center for Government and Civic Service, ACC Rio Grande: Building 3000 where you will be checked in at the front. Parking map !

In-person attendees, please join us from 5:15 to 6:15 for networking and snacks. We look forward to chatting with you face-to-face!

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Host or Publisher The Austin Forum on Technology & Society