University of Kwazulu-Natal

Ai Agents Arrived In 2025 Here S What S Next For 2026

Bonisiwe Shabane
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ai agents arrived in 2025 here s what s next for 2026

In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents -- AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own. While researchers have studied AI for more than 60 years, and the term "agent" has long been part of the field's vocabulary, 2025 was the year the concept became concrete for developers and consumers... AI agents moved from theory to infrastructure, reshaping how people interact with large language models, the systems that power chatbots like ChatGPT. In 2025, the definition of AI agent shifted from the academic framing of systems that perceive, reason and act to AI company Anthropic's description of large language models that are capable of using software...

While large language models have long excelled at text-based responses, the recent change is their expanding capacity to act, using tools, calling APIs, coordinating with other systems and completing tasks independently. This shift did not happen overnight. A key inflection point came in late 2024, when Anthropic released the Model Context Protocol. The protocol allowed developers to connect large language models to external tools in a standardized way, effectively giving models the ability to act beyond generating text. With that, the stage was set for 2025 to become the year of AI agents. 2025 was the year AI agents stopped being a demo and started doing real work.

The shift wasn't about bigger chatbots. It was about models that can use tools, call APIs, coordinate with other systems, and act without you micro-managing every step. A late-2024 trigger helped: Anthropic's Model Context Protocol connected models to external tools in a standardized way. That gave developers a clear path from text output to real action. By early 2025, "agent" wasn't just research jargon - it became infrastructure. With more autonomy came more misuse.

In November, Anthropic disclosed that its Claude Code agent had been used to automate parts of a cyberattack. The lesson was blunt: when you automate repetitive technical work, you also make harmful tasks easier. Text models used to be isolated. Agents are connected - to tools, data, browsers, and sometimes to other agents. That multiplies failure modes and widens the blast radius if something goes wrong. Traditional benchmarks grade answers.

Agents need process evaluation. They're composites: models, tools, memory, policies, and routing logic. To trust them, you have to validate the path they take, not just the final result. Affiliated Faculty Member, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, Carnegie Mellon University Thomas Şerban von Davier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their... Carnegie Mellon University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own. While researchers have studied AI for more than 60 years, and the term “agent” has long been part of the field’s vocabulary, 2025 was the year the concept became concrete for developers and consumers... EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains discussion of suicide. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters.

In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars spent, a surge in mental health concerns and thousands of jobs lost. The link between it all? Artificial intelligence, the buzzy yet controversial technology being depicted as the future or the stock market’s next bubble, depending on who you ask. Although AI has been a key technology behind the scenes for decades, the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022 pushed the tech to the frontlines.

The rise of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini has gradually influenced online services used by millions every day, from Google search’s AI Mode to the AI chatbots built into Instagram and Amazon. In other words, AI is starting to reshape the front door to the internet. But 2025 was also the year AI expanded beyond our screens and began impacting national policy, global trade relations and the stock market. It also raised important questions about whether the tech should be trusted in our jobs, classrooms and relationships. 1 hour ago • by Damien Ng in Financial Services December 9, 2025 in Artificial Intelligence

AI is reshaping cybersecurity, arming both hackers and defenders. Learn how to stay ahead in the fast-evolving AI cybersecurity arms race.... December 1, 2025 • by Tomoko Yokoi in Artificial Intelligence Vibe coding lets anyone build apps in plain English using AI, unlocking innovation and speed—but businesses must manage security, compliance, and quality risks.... Human insight and expertise is set to become more crucial in order to effectively use AI tools. Image: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

If 2025 has been the year of AI hype, 2026 might be the year of AI reckoning. Its powerful capabilities are already driving advances in healthcare, manufacturing and more, yet, in some areas, the returns on investment are mixed and potential future profits not certain. In the meantime, AI’s promise is radical, but it's deployment is shaped by potential real-world trade-offs. These range from significant – such as widening social inequality, soaring energy demand and shifting job markets – to existential. There is much talk of an AI bubble as the world anxiously watches the global economy, with unprecedented spending on AI infrastructure, but the enthusiasm to adopt AI and get ahead in the AI... In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift.

Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own. While researchers have studied AI for more… In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own.

While researchers have studied AI for more than 60 years, and the term “agent” has long been part of the field’s vocabulary, 2025 was the year the concept became concrete for developers and consumers... AI agents moved from theory to infrastructure, reshaping how people interact with large language models, the systems that power chatbots like ChatGPT. In 2025, the definition of AI agent shifted from the academic framing of systems that perceive, reason and act to AI company Anthropic’s description of large language models that are capable of using software... While large language models have long excelled at text-based responses, the recent change is their expanding capacity to act, using tools, calling APIs, coordinating with other systems and completing tasks independently.

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