Generative AI and Agentic AI represent two distinct layers of intelligence. Generative AI is reactive, creating text, images, or code in response to a prompt. Its role is a powerful capability, but it operates in a request-response loop without long-term goal tracking.

Agentic AI is proactive, designed to achieve goals autonomously. It plans, reasons, takes actions, and iterates until an objective is met. This shift moves AI from assistance to autonomy, defining the next generation of intelligent applications.

Think of it as Generative AI answers questions while Agentic AI solves problems. An agentic system builds on generative models by adding decision-making, memory, and control loops. This evolution, seen in hiring workflows, signals a move from smart assistants to digital workers.