Cook (AI Agent) vs. Chef (Agentic AI)

Increasingly, I have been getting asked to explain the difference between AI Agents and Agentic AI in a way that non-technical people can understand it.

Once way that seems to resonate is the ‘Cook vs. Chef’ model.

In this model, the cook (AI Agent) is a recipe follower.

In the 'AI Agent' kitchen, you tell the cook (AI Agent) exactly what to do:

You give them a recipe (prompt) to follow:

“Make spaghetti exactly like this.”

The cook follows the recipe step by step. They don’t ask questions, change ingredients, or try anything new. If you give them a different recipe, they’ll follow that too, but only if you provide it. 

Conversely, in the 'Agentic AI' kitchen, you don’t tell the chef what to do. You tell them what you want:

“I want to serve the best Italian dinner and impress my guests.”

The chef does more than just follow instructions. They:

• Plan a full menu

• Choose fresh ingredients

• Adjust the recipe as needed

• Taste and tweak the flavor

• Plate and present the food beautifully

• The even manage the kitchen so everything is ready on time

The chef (Agentic AI)

• Understands your goal and makes smart decisions

• Can change the plan if needed

• Thinks creatively and takes initiative

While AI Agents dutifully follow directives akin to cooks, Agentic AI, resembling chefs, exhibit autonomy, creativity, and adaptive decision-making based on overarching goals rather than rigid instructions.